With a combination of colorful graphics and quirky tweet suggestions, author and academic lecturer Dr. Vikram Mansharamani set the tone for the Bayer AgVocacy Forum with a focus on the global economy. Mansharamani discussed three main forces driving the global economy – China, technology, and a growing, aging population. Among his suggested tweets – “OMG! @Mansharamani could depress newlyweds on …
SMART Farmer Podcast with Chip Bowling
Our new SMART Farmer podcast episode features Maryland grain farmer Chip Bowling, vice chairman of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance who was recently in Panama with the U.S. Grains Council. He talks about his family farm, which is located almost in the shadow of the DC beltway, and how he uses the latest innovation and technology to be more …
POTUS Ditches WOTUS
The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation had the privilege of being with the President of the United States Tuesday as he signed an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally reconsider the controversial Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule under the Clean Water Act. “President Trump’s executive order to ditch the Waters of …
AgVocates Gathering for Bayer Forum
AgVocates from around the country – including the @Agriblogger – are gathering in San Antonio today for the Bayer AgVocacy Forum starting today. This is the 12th consecutive year that Bayer has organized the forum before Commodity Classic to showcase individuals and ideas that are making a strong impact on the future of farming and food production. This year’s event …
GROWMARK Growing as a Propane Retailer
GROWMARK ranked as the fifth largest propane retailer in the United States by LP Gas Magazine with sales of over 211 million retail gallons of propane during 2016. “Propane is used for a lot of different reasons,” says Zach Baugher, GROWMARK Propane Marketing & Technical Services Manager. “Home heat, livestock building heat, grain dryers, and now we’re starting to see …
Weather Outlook at #NFMS17
Weather is always the main topic of discussion whenever farmers get together, so the weather outlook from Bryce Anderson, Senior Ag Meteorologist at DTN/The Progressive Farmer, is always a big draw at the National Farm Machinery Show. Anderson says the outlook for the corn belt is good this year as the Pacific Ocean has moved from a weak La Nina …
Bayer Building on Feed a Bee Buzz
The Feed a Bee program has planted more than 2 billion wildflowers with the help of 900,000 individuals and 117 partner organizations in the past three years, but Bayer says it’s not stopping there. The company recently requested proposals to establish pollinator forage in all 50 states by 2018, hoping to build upon their success and move the needle forward. …
Media Scrum Sighted at #RFANEC
I have to admit to never having heard the word “scrum” – meaning an impromptu press conference – until yesterday. According to Wikipedia, the word comes from a rugby term where players from both teams cluster around the ball competing for possession. “Analogously, in a media scrum reporters cluster around a public figure competing for his or her attention.” So …
Farm Faster with 3RIVE 3D
It was two years ago at National Farm Machinery Show that FMC Corporation introduced us to the revolutionary 3RIVE 3D application technology. Last year it won a FINovation award. This year, the product is now available through Micro-Trak Systems dealers in seven Midwest locations, according to company representative Heath McCormick. “Those dealers are available to sell and install (3RIVE 3D) …
AEM Hosts Infrastructure Panel at #NFMS17
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted a rural infrastructure panel at the National Farm Machinery Show last week as part of its Infrastructure Vision 2050 initiative to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing U.S. infrastructure and its potential impact on the agriculture economy. The event was a follow-up to AEM’s Rural Infrastructure Summit held at Iowa State University last …