Classic Smashes Records

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Cindy

With more than 7,300 total attendees, the 2014 Commodity Classic convention and trade show in San Antonio shattered all previous records.

“We knew it was the biggest event ever, but the numbers really surprised us as we saw them rolling in over the course of the event,” said Commodity Classic Co-Chair Rob Elliott.

And the record numbers are impressive:
Total attendees – 7,325 – up 18% from 2013
Total growers – 3,874 – up 16.5%
First time attendees – 1,261
Trade show companies – 301

Next year will be the 20th annual Classic and it will take place in in Phoenix, Ariz., the city where it all started. Then in 2016, Commodity Classic welcomes a new affiliate, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) for a bigger and better show in New Orleans, including the addition of several components and a number of exhibitors from AEM’s 2013 AG CONNECT Expo & Summit.

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Today’s Farmer CEOs at Ag Issues Forum

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Cindy

The panel of farmer CEOs at the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum were pretty funny guys, in addition to being sharp businessmen.

The “How Today’s Farmer CEOs are Reshaping Modern Ag” panelists were (left to right) Chad Leman, co-owner of Leman Farms hog operation in Illinois; Jeremy Jack, partner at Silent Shade Planting Company in Mississippi; and Bruce “Onion Man” Frasier, owner of Dixondale Farms in Texas.

These guys discussed the everyday challenges they face running their farms, including training the next generation, new regulations, the public’s perception of farming, and weight of responsibility. They also discussed the importance of recording everything they do to help them track efficiencies and responsibilities.

Listen to the conversation here: Bayer Ag Issues Farmer Panel

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Bayer CropScience CEO on What the World Needs

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

Once upon a time, all the world needed was love, sweet love – but life is a little more complicated these days.

The theme of the ninth annual Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum was “What the World Needs” and topics included water security, communications, innovation, pollinators and sustainable farmers. At the end of the two-day event, Bayer CropScience president and CEO Jim Blome said the bottom line is that everyone has a role in feeding a growing world population.

Blome was particularly pleased to present the fourth Bayer CropScience Young Farmer Sustainability Award to Bryan Boll of Minnesota. “We thought we needed to elevate young farmers, the people who are doing things right and have a great story to tell,” said Blome. “These guys are running big businesses with an eye on the future and they’re not afraid of technology. We want to identify them, elevate them and then celebrate them.”

One of the most important segments of the forum focused on bees, which Bayer CropScience believes are critical to agriculture and the world. “Pollinator and bee health are really important to us,” said Blome, who explained that they take the fluctuations in pollinator populations so seriously they have dedicated significant resources to an overall Bee Care Program. That includes a new North American Bee Care Center to advance honey bee research, education and collaboration, which is scheduled to open next month.

“We all eat and one out of every three bites of food that we take comes from a bee,” said Blome. Interview with Bayer CropScience CEO Jim Blome

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Vilsack at NFU Announces Small Farmer Help

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

During an appearance at the National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Santa Fe, New Mexico today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and expanded efforts to connect smaller farmers and ranchers with USDA resources that can “help them build stronger businesses, expand to reach new and larger markets, and grow their operations.”

In a press conference from the NFU convention after his remarks, Vilsack said there were concerns following the publication of the recent recent Census of Agriculture about the “eroding middle in farming” but it shows tremendous potential for small and mid-sized producers in American agriculture. “We’ve adjusted policies, strengthened programs and intensified outreach to meet the needs of small and mid-sized producers,” said Vilsack. “These producers are critical to our country’s agricultural and economic future.”

“The secretary’s speech was very well received at our convention,” said NFU president Roger Johnson on the conference call with Vilsack. “This focus on small and midsized farmers is in many ways a focus on our members.”

Also on the call was National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Policy Director Ferd Hoefner, who specifically noted the importance of changes to the Farm Storage and Facility Loan (FSFL) Program which he says will greatly help small farmers sell their produce through local and regional marketing channels.

Listen to or download press conference here: USDA Support for Smaller Farmers

New Poll Finds Farmers Less Optimistic

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

A new poll of Iowa farmers finds less optimism about the financial picture of agriculture this year.

The Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll, launched last month in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), found that farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures – spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop insurance.

Nearly 80 percent expect their 2014 farm financial outlook to worsen – 47 percent expect it to worsen “slightly” while 32 percent expect it to worsen “a great deal.” Poll respondents said they also expect the value of their farmland to drop this year, with 75 percent expecting values to decrease.

Eighty-seven percent of the farmers’ surveyed plan to either purchase more or continue about the same level of crop insurance as last year. The majority view crop insurance as the most important Farm Bill “tool” for maintaining their profitability this year.

The importance of crop insurance came through when farmers were asked what aspect of the Agricultural Act of 2014 will be most important in helping their financial situation this year. More than 62 percent chose crop insurance as more important to their operations than other aspects of the just-passed Farm Bill.

The poll was taken Feb. 23 with more than 130 Iowa farmers responding to the unaided 12-question poll.

ASA Honors Lifetime Achievements

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

The American Soybean Association awarded two lifetime achievement awards during the annual banquet at Commodity Classic.

One was presented to a long-time friend of ours. Dave Drennan received the Lifetime Achievement Award – Membership Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Drennan started his career with ASA in 1975 as newsletter editor. He was named interim Field Services Director at age 24. Dave was ASA’s first Membership Manager in 1979 to spearhead ASA’s membership efforts. In that year, ASA’s membership increased eight percent and more than 1,400 members from the previous year. Drennan was also recognized as the number one ASA Regional Manager for membership recruitment in 1980 from ASA’s 11 regions.

We got to know Dave when he worked for the National Corn Growers Association many years ago, and he currently serves as Executive Director for the Missouri Dairy Association.

ASA recognized David Womack from Shelbyville, Tenn. with its Lifetime Achievement Award – Association Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to the ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Womack has been involved in the state and national soybean organizations for more than 30 years. Womack held leadership positions in ASA, was a founding member of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the last president of the American Soybean Development Foundation. He also served on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), Tennessee Soybean Association (TSA) and Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board (TSPB).

BASF Celebrates Corn and Soybean Farmers

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Cindy

BASF Crop Protection helped corn and soybean growers celebrate the achievements of the past year as sponsors of the big association banquets during the Commodity Classic last week.

At the National Corn Growers Association banquet, BASF Manager for Plant Health and Seed Treatment Dr. Gary Fellows talked about how corn growers are living Howard Buffett’s “40 Chances” challenge to make a difference in the world. “You are all greatly maximizing your 40 chances, or 40 seasons, to producing more out of the same acre,” Gary said, paying tribute to the corn yield contest and scholarship winners who were honored during the banquet.

BASF Communications and Industry Relations Manager Sharon Hall attended the American Soybean Association annual banquet and helped to present the Conservation Legacy Awards, which BASF co-sponsors. Iowa soybean farmer David Ausberger was honored as both the Midwest regional and the national award winner. Jerry Peery of Kentucky received the the South Region award, and Mark and Phyllis Legan of Indiana received the award for the Northeast Region.

BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Seed Treatment Stewardship Promoted at Classic

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Cindy

We first heard about “The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship” last year at Commodity Classic.

The second phase roll out of the guide – produced by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) in collaboration with organizations like the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association and American Farm Bureau – began this year and we heard more about it from ASTA VP for Government and Regulatory Affairs Jane DeMarchi.

“The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship was created to touch all aspects of seed applied technology,” said Jane. “Our goal is to emphasize stewardship practices across crops and treatment segments and to minimize the risk of seed dust exposure to pollinators.”

Jane says they have developed videos about seed treatment stewardship and began taking them on the road this year to state and national corn, soybean and farm bureau meetings, and she says awareness of pollinator issues is growing among farmers across the country.

Learn more here: Press conference with Jane DeMarchi, ASTA

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

More Time to Enter Golden ARC Awards

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Cindy

So, what are you doing this weekend? How about working on your Golden ARC Awards entry?

After receiving requests from multiple Commodity Classic attendees, the Agricultural Relations Council folks decided to extend the deadline for the 2014 Golden ARC Awards Contest to next Tuesday March 11, 2014.

The 2014 Golden ARC Awards competition includes 35 categories for agricultural public relations activities conducted in full or partially in the year 2013.

The format and requirements for the Golden ARC Awards are similar to other leading PR award programs, based on best practices for public relations and public affairs campaigns and tactics.

The 35 categories fall into two divisions – Campaigns and Tactics. A student category is available with a free entry to student ARC members. New for this year, the tactics categories have been restructured to better reflect the tactical entries entered. The Golden ARC de Excellence award for the best all-around entry in the campaigns division will also be awarded.

Winners will be awarded at the ARC annual meeting June 24-26, 2014 in Madison, WI.

New Seed World Editor

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Cindy

Congrats to Julie Deering (née Douglas) who has been named new editor of Seed World.

We just saw Julie last week at the Commodity Classic and Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum, where she was busily gathering content to use in upcoming Seed World issues. This probably means we will get to see her again at the American Seed Trade Association annual meeting and seed expo this year. That’s where we first made her acquaintance, before Mike Deering married her and moved her to Missouri where he is head of the state cattlemen’s association.

Julie is thrilled to join the Seed World team. “The seed industry is at the heart of innovation, making better use of technology and data,” she says. “There’s an enormous challenge that looms over the seed industry, but there’s never been a more exciting time to be a part of the industry.”

Her new job will be to lead the editorial direction and provide the execution that is required to maintain the publication’s reputation as the leading source of information for the global seed industry. She previously served as managing editor for Top Producer and director of communications for the American Seed Trade Association.

Classic Farmland Movie Stars

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Cindy

Commodity Classic went to the movies last week with a sneak preview of the feature length documentary “Farmland” which will debut later this month.

The media was allowed to watch, but not report on, the movie – but we are able to meet and talk with some of the stars who took part in a press conference at Classic with the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). The guy in the middle here is not one of the stars, that’s USFRA Executive Director Randy Krotz – he just wishes he were as talented and good-looking as the farmers in the film!

The four pictured here, from left to right around Randy, are David Loberg of Nebraska, Ryan Veldhuizen of Minnesota, Leighton Cooley from Georgia, and Brad Bellah of Texas. Listen to them talk about themselves and their experiences with film director James Moll in the making of “Farmland.” – Farmland Movie Press Conference

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Bayer Develops Seed Treatment for SDS

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Cindy

During the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum and Commodity Classic last week, Bayer was pleased to announced they have applied for EPA registration of ILeVO, the first seed treatment developed to address Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).

“We’re anticipating federal registration fourth quarter of 2014 for planting in 2015,” said Seed Treatments Product Manager Dave Byrum.

Jennifer Riggs, Bayer SeedGrowth product development manager, says people think of SDS as a late season disease, but they have found that is not true. “The infection of the fungus into the plant happens at the seedling stage,” she explains. “So ILeVO does a very good job of protecting that very critical zone from the fungus.”

Dave and Jennifer talked about this exciting new development during a press conference, and Chuck interviewed both of them during the Ag Issues Forum. Take your pick – or take them both!

Interview with Dave Byrum and Jennifer Riggs, Bayer CropScience Bayer CropScience ILeVO press conference

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

GROWMARK, John Deere Data Collaboration

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Cindy

GROWMARK and John Deere are collaborating to make life easier and improve decision-making for producers and agronomists.

The two are collaborating to deliver near real-time field level data to producers and FS Crop Specialists by linking FS Advanced Information Services (FS AIS), a suite of precision agronomy software, with John Deere Wireless Data Transfer, JDLink™ and MyJohnDeere.

GROWMARK Agronomy Marketing executive director Ron Milby says they are among the first agricultural retailers to leverage the Wireless Data Transfer Application Programming Interface (API) for its precision agronomy decision support software, making data exchange faster and more useful for growers and its FS company staff. “The open platform John Deere provides enables farmers and FS company staff to use the FS AIS software to make decisions in near real time – that’s a win-win,” Milby said.

Ron says they chose to work with Deere because they believe they are a leader in this field. “I think they’re going to be a viable leader in the future,” he said. “We were headed to this base, they were headed to this base, and we were able to work with them.

Producers will utilize an efficient and secure interface between FS AIS and MyJohnDeere, taking advantage of both companies’ commitment to supporting better decisions through improved data integration at the field level. This includes the ability to easily transfer work instructions, prescriptions, and product lists to the GreenStar™ 3 2630 display. Yield data, as-applied maps and work records can be transferred back to the FS AIS software.

Find out more in this interview with Ron: Interview with Ron Milby, GROWMARK

NCGA Honors Corn Industry Legend

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Cindy

The National Corn Growers Association celebrated the long and productive career of a corn farmer, friend and industry legend last Saturday during the concluding Corn Congress at the Commodity Classic.

Jere White is retiring from the Kansas Corn Growers after leading that organization for a quarter of a century. During the Congress, he was presented with the Meritorious Service Award from NCGA and received a standing ovation from those present. Our friend had a serious motorcycle accident in September 2012, and while he has made a remarkable recovery from critical injuries, he recently decided it was time to pass the reins of the association on to someone else.

The new Kansas Corn CEO, pictured here with Jere, is Greg Krissek – who is both highly qualified for the job and a long-time friend. In his career, Greg has served as Assistant Secretary at the Kansas Department of Agriculture; Director of Operations at Kansas Corn and Kansas Grain Sorghum; Director of Government Affairs for ICM Inc. and, most recently was a manager at Kennedy and Coe, LLC. He has also served on many ethanol and agricultural association boards and on seven ethanol plant boards of directors.

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Bayer Panel Addresses Water Security

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Cindy

What the world needs most is water – but beer is pretty important too! So water security was one of the issues addressed during a panel at the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum last week in San Antonio, and beer was a big part of the discussion.

The panelists included (left to right) Dr. Marco Ugarte with MillerCoors, Gary Beck of Hillside Ranch and Mitchell Baalman of FDK Partnership. They explained that 90 percent of the water needed to make beer is used in crop irrigation and how MillerCoors, The Nature Conservancy and barley farm Hillside Ranch have collaborated to reduce the amount of water used for barley production, resulting in cost savings to the farm and an increase in yield.

Dr. Ugarte and his fellow panelists talked about the need to work with farmers to implement new technology, yield data, planting data and spraying maps to reduce water use. Baalman shared his story of collaborative and voluntary efforts among farmers in his hometown of Hoxie, Kansas. Situated above the High Plains aquifer, which is being depleted six times faster than it is being replenished, the Hoxie-area farmers committed to taking 20 percent less water out of the ground over a five-year period that began last year.

Listen to the panel here: Bayer Ag Issues Water Security Panel

Chuck also interviewed Dr. Ugarte: Interview with Dr. Marco Ugarte, MillerCoors

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Ag Leader AgFiniti Now Available

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Cindy

Ag Leader Technology’s new cloud-based platform AgFiniti® was a hit at last week’s Commodity Classic where growers were happy to learn that it is now available for them.

“AgFiniti is an affordable and reliable solution for wireless connectivity in the field because it allows users the flexibility to choose the best wireless service carrier in their local area and hotspot device,” said Luke James, Software Sales Manager. He adds that what really makes AgFiniti stand out from other solutions on the market is data privacy. “We know growers value their privacy and that’s why with AgFiniti the data is 100% theirs,” he said. “We’re independent, just like the grower’s independent. We value that.”

Learn more in this interview with Luke from Commodity Classic: Interview with Luke James, Ag Leader

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

BASF Helps Growers Plan for Success

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Cindy

Nobody in business plans for failure and farmers are no different.

“We have to plan for success,” says BASF Technical Crop Production Specialist AJ Woodyard. “We have to take that mindset again this year of looking at what is my plan for success this growing season and how am I going to implement that strategy to best maximize yield on my farm.”

During the BASF Science Behind the Advanced Acre event prior to Commodity Classic last week, AJ talked about how higher yields will be more important to growers this year than ever before. “Prices aren’t where they have been so getting the most return from a bushel standpoint is going to be very important,” he said.

AJ talked about BASF’s advanced weed control options, advanced plant health, and the economics of seed treatments. “When we look at the economics and the return on seed treatments, we find that with today’s commodity prices and at various yield levels, there’s likely a nine out of ten chance that seed treatment is going to pay for itself. That’s pretty good odds,” he said.

Listen to my interview with AJ here: Interview with AJ Woodyard, BASF

Here more from AJ’s presentation here: AJ Woodyard, BASF Science Behind presentation

BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos

BASF Spotlights Future of Farming

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Cindy

Over 7,000 people had the opportunity to visit the BASF Crop Protection USA booth at the Commodity Classic to learn more about the future of farming – by video and through the eyes of children.

The newest video from BASF, featuring fun facts about how far the industry has progressed and how we must advance in order to meet the needs of future generations, was on a movie screen size display. Behind it was a wall displaying creative pictures artwork from children across the country of how they see the future of farming.

BASF asked children what they thought farming would look like in 50 or 100 years and got dozens of creative, innovative and colorful concepts that were on display in the booth. The winning submission, by 11-year-old Moise Dougherty of Minnesota, was chosen on Saturday morning.

See more photos here:
BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Watch the new BASF video here:

BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Meet the BASF SOY Scholarship Winner

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Cindy

An idea that started back when he was just an elementary school student has led a Tennessee high schooler to picking up a substantial scholarship that he says will help him further his own energy business. Caleb Brannon of Puryear, Tenn. was selected as the recipient of the 2014-2015 ASA Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship, a $5,000 award presented to an outstanding high school senior who has achieved high academic and leadership requirements, and is planning to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field at an accredited college or university.

“I’m really thankful to the American Soybean Association and BASF who were so generous in this scholarship,” he says. Brannon, a senior at Calloway County High School, will pursue a degree in agricultural business at Murray State University, Murray, Ky. beginning this fall. He already has his very own business, Brannon Agri-Energy, a company focusing on cellulosic ethanol that he actually thought up way back in the fifth grade!

“Our family farm was in a partnership with the University of Tennessee to grow switchgrass in a pilot program to be bailed and put in a coal-fired plant [in Alabama].” While other area farmers gave up after a few years, it led Brannon to researching other crops for what is now his cellulosic ethanol business, finding his own markets.

He adds that the scholarship money will free up what he would have spent on college to invest back into his business. But he says this is more than just his future; it’s the Nation’s future.

“I want to help our country become just a little bit more energy independent. That’s really important to me.”

Listen to an interview with Brannon here: Interview with BASF SOY Scholarship Winner

BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos