Technology Continues to Evolve for Corn Sweeteners

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

Innovations in the corn sweetener industry were among those on display at the 2018 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference in St. Louis. Companies like Novasep were on hand to present the latest information and technology they have on processes like glucose/fructose separation.

“We have made and work on drastic changes and optimization of this technology which opens new areas of application for our customers,” said Damien Brichant, Americas General Manager, Industrial Biotech, Novasep.

Brichant said many other sugars and amino acids are now purified with this technology, which continues to evolve.

“This is clearly an industry which is shifting from only food applications to much more industrial applications with a lot of innovation into it, so that’s great news,” he said.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Damien here: Interview with Damien Brichant, Americas General Manager, Novasep

2018 Corn Utilization & Technology Conference Photo Album

Audio, Corn, CUTC

GROWMARK Promotes Sustainability with Endure Initiative

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

GROWMARK‘s Endure 4R Advocate Awards program and Enduring Farms program are working together to recognize individuals for using best management practices and to tell that story to those outside of agriculture who want to know how farmers are practicing stewardship on their land.

GROWMARK Director of Agronomy Marketing and Agronomy Services Ryan White says they continue to grow the programs, and for good reason.

“In the end, what we want to do with this program is to always find ways to work with farmers to improve, to tell the great story that farmers are already doing,” said White. “There are so many farmers who already put good practices – outstanding practices – to work every day to manage crop nutrients and crop inputs. Lifting those folks up as the best examples of what’s happening out there, and telling their stories to those outside our industry is very important, but it’s also great within our industry because we have those people that are doing exemplary work that we can point to.”

GROWMARK just recognized five FS crop specialists with the Endure 4R Advocate Awards. Earlier this year the company awarded 26 farmers with the Enduring Farms recognition. White said these individuals truly are leaders in the industry who work every day to do the right thing for their clients and on their farms.

Interview with Ryan White, GROWMARK

Congratulations to the 2018 Endure 4R Advocate award winners:

• Tim Berkland – GROWMARK – Iowa

• Gary Brandt – Gateway FS – Illinois

• Courtney Mahr – West Central FS – Illinois

• Sal Pustizze – GROWMARK FS – New Jersey

• Todd Wibben – Evergreen FS – Illinois

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Audio, GROWMARK, Sustainability

2018 Golden ARC Winners Announced

Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Find out who won 2018 Golden ARC Awards at the annual meeting this week.

Winners of the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) 2018 Golden ARC Awards Contest were announced June 21 at the organization’s annual professional development meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Recipients of this year’s Golden ARC Awards join an elite group of highly-respected leaders in agricultural public relations in the elite awards program.

For the seventh straight year the Golden ARC de Excellence Award was awarded. The 2018 winner was National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) for the campaign titled “‘Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.’ Rebranding campaign.” This year’s selected entry was from the Campaigns Division, Organization or Corporate Reputation category. NCBA credits Meghan Pusey, Martin Roth, Season Solorio, Alisa Harrison for their work on the campaign.

This year’s competition was judged by members of the Maine Public Relations Association.

Originated in 1990, the Golden ARC Awards Contest recognizes the best and brightest in agricultural public relations, and is open to both ARC and non-ARC members. The categories reflect the broad scope of contemporary public relations activities.

A complete winners’ listing of the 2018 Golden ARC Awards Contest is here.

ARC, Public Relations

Erin Fitzgerald is New USFRA CEO

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has ended a five- month search for a new chief executive officer with the selection Erin Fitzgerald to lead the organization. Fitzgerald previously served as Senior Vice President, Global Sustainability for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®, a part of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI).

“The USFRA Board of Directors is pleased to hire Erin Fitzgerald as our new CEO,” said Chip Bowling, USFRA Vice Chair and Chair of the CEO Search Committee. “With an outstanding number of qualified candidates for the CEO position, Erin was the obvious choice to lead our organization through the next chapter of its history, and it was a unanimous decision by the board.”

Fitzgerald will lead USFRA as it approaches its eighth year as an organization with 100 affiliates and industry partners. “American farmers and ranchers have an incredible legacy and will define the sustainable food systems of the future – I am grateful for the privilege to continue to work for the farmers across the United States who are committed to stewardship and inspire a sustainable future,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald will start with USFRA on July 16.

Learn more about Erin in this interview: Interview with Erin Fitzgerald, USFRA CEO

Ag Group, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, USFRA

Who Should Attend NAMA Boot Camp

Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Here is who should attend.

The National Agri-Marketing Association’s Boot Camp event is the perfect opportunity for individuals new to the industry to learn more about marketing and agriculture basics. The 2018 Boot Camp will take place in Kansas City, MO, August 15-17.

This event has educational sessions on what influences producers, crisis management, and dealing with negative messages. Plus, there are two panel presentations that will share valuable insights from local producers and provide practical advice from several experienced and successful agribusiness professionals.

In addition, Boot Camp provides countless opportunities to network with agri-marketing professionals from across the country. Each attendee will also receive a notebook packed with agricultural terminology, facts, case studies and speaker presentations.

To kick off the NAMA Boot Camp, you can attend the MoKan NAMA Ag Tour. The Ag Tour is a one-day, on-farm experience where attendees will tour and learn about different nuances of agricultural operations in the surrounding area. This tour takes place on August 15.

Find the full schedule of events on the website. Register now for this incredible opportunity to advance your career in agri-marketing. Rates go up on July 24 so reserve your spot today.

NAMA

Incredibles 2 Makes Super Hero Eggs

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The American Egg Board (AEB) cooked up an eggciting promotional sponsorship of Disney-Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” that has audiences scrambling for new “How Do You Like Your Eggs?” recipes reflecting each of the film’s character’s unique personality or super power. The film has made the Incredible Egg into a nutrition super hero!

“We are excited for The Incredible Egg to have a role celebrating all-things incredible as part of the family-friendly Disney•Pixar’s ‘Incredibles 2’ movie,” said Anne L. Alonzo, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. “A nutritional powerhouse, The Incredible Egg is the perfect sidekick to all the Supers out there, as one large egg is packed with 6 grams of high-quality protein.”

The AEB celebrated the June 15 movie premiere by bringing a Hollywood party to the Loews Chicago Hotel rooftop where guests got a first look at (and taste of) the customized character recipes. The family of superheroes sequel to 2004’s The Incredibles set a record with a $180 million domestic opening, making it the biggest opening of all time for an animated film, ahead of Finding Dory, the eighth-largest opening of all time, and the second biggest June opening of all time behind Jurassic World.

We talked with AEB Marketing Communications Manager Marc Dresner about this incredible campaign and how they believe it will elevate eggs to a whole new level.

Interview with Marc Dresner, American Egg Board, on Incredibles 2 campaign

Check out the Incredibles 2 new super egg recipes at IncredibleEgg.org.

AgWired Animal, Audio, Eggs, Marketing

Zimfo Bytes 6/22

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • Rhea + Kaiser announces the promotion of Allison Saegebrecht to Executive Media Director and Head of Media Services. In this role, Saegebrecht will lead an experienced group of strategically driven, results-oriented media experts. In addition to her department management responsibilities, she also will serve on the agency’s leadership team.
  • Brownfield Ag News is pleased to announce Rhiannon Branch has joined the Brownfield team as News Assistant. Rhiannon is from Iuka, Illinois and is currently a Senior at Murray State University where she studies Agriculture Communications.
  • The American Soybean Association (ASA) wants to recognize exceptional soy volunteers and leaders again this year. During ASA’s annual awards banquet, individuals will be recognized and honored for state association volunteerism, distinguished leadership achievements and long-term, significant contributions to the soybean industry. The nomination period is open through Oct. 15, 2018. The Recognition Awards categories are: ASA Outstanding State Volunteer Award, ASA Distinguished Leadership Award, and the ASA Pinnacle Award.
  • Planning for the 2019 National Ag Day began this month as the new Agriculture Council of America Board of Directors held their annual summer meeting at John Deere Financial in Johnston, IA. Isabella Chism of the American Farm Bureau Federation has been named the Chair for 2018-2019. The position of Vice Chair has been filled by Greg Horstmeier with DTN/The Progressive Farmer. Cyndee Smiley, John Deere, was selected to serve as the Secretary/Treasurer for this year.
  • The National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board has elected Kevin Ross of Iowa to become the organization’s first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
  • Case IH is expanding the 2000 series Early Riser planter lineup with a new 2130 stack-fold mounted 3-point hitch model. Available in five configurations, this new planter is rebuilt from the ground up, from the rugged row unit to Precision Planting technology, and includes new features that enhance productivity for high-tech strip-till and flood irrigation operations and for specialty crops, such as cotton, peanuts and dry edible beans.
Zimfo Bytes

White House Reorganization Plans Would Change USDA

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

During an open media cabinet meeting Thursday, which was mostly dominated by President Trump commenting on the immigration issue, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Mick Mulvaney gave an entertaining summary of the administration’s plans to reorganize the government.

“It’s been almost a hundred years since anybody really reorganized the government,” said Mulvaney, before providing a couple of examples of why it needs to be reorganized. “Because of the Byzantine nature of the way we regulate in this country…if you make a cheese pizza, that is governed by the Food and Drug Administration, if you put pepperoni it, that’s governed by USDA. If you have a chicken, it’s governed by the USDA. If that chicken lays an egg, it’s governed by the FDA, but if you break the egg and make it into an omelet, that is now covered again by USDA.”

“This is stupid,” Mulvaney said simply.

Under the plan, food safety regulations would move from FDA to USDA, while rural housing would move from USDA to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and non-commodity nutrition assistance programs would move to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS), which would be renamed the Department of Health and Public Welfare (DHP).

Click here to view the administration plan and listen here to Mulvaney explain some of it at the Cabinet meeting. OMB Director Mick Mulvaney outlines reorganization plan

AgWired AgNewsWire, AgWired Energy, Audio, Government, USDA

Hubbard’s Swine Research Facility a Valuable Asset

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

Hubbard‘s new Leavenworth Livestock Research Center in Minnesota gives the company an expanded opportunity to do meaningful research around swine nutrition.

The facility is a 5,000-head barn designed to house pigs from wean to finish. Two rooms offer the possibility of side by side trials in a fully filtered barn that greatly decreases any possibility of disease. The feeding system allows caregivers to deliver specific feed to each pen, and separate water lines to each pen allow for research using water treatments, as well.

This type of research center is helping Hubbard to get new products to the producer more quickly, according to Emily Fruge, swine research coordinator for Hubbard.

“We have four core values that we really go for, and that is to make our producers’ lives easier, we want to increase their competitive advantage, we want to improve their profitability, and we also want to reduce their risk,” said Fruge.

Research at the Leavenworth Livestock Research Center includes developing technologies and improving feeding programs in a realistic commercial production scenario with a focus on those core values. Fruge was at the 2018 World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Emily here: Interview with Emily Fruge, Hubbard

2018 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by World Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by AlltechWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by showriteWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by hubbard
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Hubbard, Pork, World Pork Expo

Growing Corn for Future Generations

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

Corn quality and related research and production techniques were among topics on the agenda at the 2018 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference in St. Louis.

The future of the industry is a favorite subject of Dennis Maple, chairman of the National Corn Growers Association‘s Corn Productivity and Quality Action Team.

“I think we’re still going to have a big pile of corn in 30 years,” said Maple. “I think as producers we’re going to be more efficient and do a better job. Our corn breeders are going to do a fantastic job at getting us products that will produce bigger yields, and we’ll be better at water conservation and fertilizer conservation.”

Maple said younger farmers are becoming more and more important as older farmers like him need not only younger legs to help with the physical demands of production agriculture, but also younger minds to embrace the digital aspects of farming today. He said farmers continue to educate themselves on a number of important topics, from what’s happening with the Renewable Fuels Standard to how labeling affects ethanol consumption.

“Labeling is such an issue, whether it’s GMO labeling or labeling with ethanol or just anything in the grocery store, for example. Labeling is an issue,” said Maple. “Folks want to know where they’re products are coming from and how they’re produced. I think maybe more so in our younger generation that in past generations.”

He suggested consumers might be better served by a label denoting an octane rating or price octane rather than the ethanol content of a particular fuel.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Dennis here: Interview with Dennis Maple, Corn Grower

2018 Corn Utilization & Technology Conference Photo Album

Audio, Corn, CUTC, Ethanol, NCGA