Truterra Outreach to Under-served Producers

Cindy Zimmerman

In an effort to make sure all farmers have the opportunity to adopt climate smart practices and be rewarded for it, Truterra is reaching out to historically under-served producers with information about USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities Partnership project.

Truterra Outreach and Partnership Liaison John Porter says under-served producers include racial and ethnic minorities, veterans, beginning farmers, and limited resource farmers. “We also add in small farmers and women farmers for some of the programs,” said Porter. “Under-served means they’ve been left out of programs before, they’ve not had access to them before.”

Porter says they are working with organizations that represent these types of farmers to try and get information about the programs to them. “We’re providing resources so that all farmers can be on the journey together at the same time,” he said.

Learn more in this interview from Commodity Classic.

Classic24 John Porter, Truterra 6:58

2024 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, carbon, climate, Farming, Sustainability, USDA

Radical Corn Value Chain Challenge Launched

Carrie Muehling

Radicle Growth, a company-building platform investing in early-stage agriculture and food technologies, is delighted to announce, “The Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge sponsored by U.S. Corn Farmers.”

“We review about 1,000 technologies from around the world every year and make two or three investments,” said Kirk Haney, managing partner of Radicle Growth. “In partnership with U.S. corn farmers, we’re excited to think about what new technologies can we identify anywhere in the world and bring them to the U.S. to help U.S. corn farmers not only find new uses of corn, but also improve the sustainability scores for corn growing.”

Iowa Corn Promotion Board President Stan Nelson welcomed the new opportunity.

“You are hearing from folks that understand our oversupply issues, and they understand and know what a 20 percent stocks to use ratio means,” Nelson said. “But I feel it. I feel the burdensome supply and my two daughters that are farming with their families, they feel the burdensome supply, and U.S. corn farmers feel the burdensome supply. That’s why we’re investing our checkoff dollars into the Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge.”

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is one of several groups supporting the effort.

“Our growers are really excited to help support the Radicle Challenge and to really leverage both state and national resources to optimize the opportunity in this value chain,” said Sarah McKay, NCGA Director of Market Development.

Potential companies can apply now at https://radicle.vc/the-radicle-corn-value-chain-sponsored-by-us-corn-farmers/.

Radicle Growth Launches The Radical Corn Value Chain Challenge Sponsored by U.S. Corn Farmers – press conference
Classic24 Radical Corn Challenge press conference 6:35

Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn

Industry Ag News 3/8

Carrie Muehling

  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) honored Representatives Jim Baird of Indiana and Jimmy Panetta of California with its 2023 Legislator of the Year awards. Each year, ARA recognizes top legislators who have championed the issues of importance to agriculture and agriculture suppliers.
  • The American Soybean Association presented industry awards during the recent Commodity Classic. ASA recognized Steve Pitstick, Illinois, with its Distinguished Leadership Award. Dr. Gary List, retired research chemist, was presented with the Pinnacle Award, and Theresia Gillie of Minnesota received the Outstanding State Volunteer Award.
  • The March Coffee and Collaboration presented by the Livestock Publications Council will be on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 10 a.m. CT. This session is titled “Mentoring: A two-way street” with Angie Denton, Emily Grund, and Lauren Gatz – Kansas State University.
  • Agri-Pulse announced the promotion of Steve Davies to Deputy Managing Editor, effective immediately.
  • Join the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City on Wednesday, March 27, for a monthly luncheon meeting featuring Congressman Sam Graves. The Congressman was the first speaker hosted by the Ag Business Council in October 2003, and the group is delighted to have him back 20 years later.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association released its 2024 Ethanol Industry Outlook and Pocket Guide as a kickoff to the 29th annual National Ethanol Conference in San Diego. The annual publications serve as the go-to source of ethanol industry information, facts, and statistics, and follow the NEC theme of “Powered by Partnerships.”
  • American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) President & CEO Andy LaVigne announced the promotion of two staff members. Pat Miller has been promoted to Senior Director, Special Projects; and Jordan Gregory has been promoted to Director, State Government Affairs.
  • The National Cotton Ginners Association announced the recipients of the Cotton Ginner of the Year Award and Distinguished Service Award.
  • The National Cotton Council’s National Cotton Ginners Association also announced its officers for 2024.
  • The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) elected Keeff Felty as President during their 2024 Annual Conference in Houston, Texas.
  • On Wednesday, February 28, in Houston, Texas, over 250 people gathered to celebrate the 24 National Winners for the 2023 contest. Wheat growers and partners from all segments of the wheat industry gathered to honor the achievements of these growers and share ideas on how to achieve both high yield and high-quality wheat. An exciting announcement was shared during this event, the reveal of the new contest website! All wheat growers will need to register on the new site, found at www.wheatcontest.org.
  • Zimfo Bytes

    SOTU Mentions Family Farms But Not Farm Bill

    Cindy Zimmerman

    President Joe Biden made no mention of passing a farm bill in his State of the Union address Thursday night, but he did claim to have already made life better for farmers in the nation.

    “Because of my investments, family farms, my secretary of agriculture knows more about this than anybody I know, are better able to stay in the family and their children and grandchildren won’t have to leave home to make a living. It’s transformative,” said President Biden.

    Not sure what he means by that, but here is the quote.
    Biden SOTU family farms :21

    Audio, politics

    RhizoSorb®Takes Off at Classic

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It was a year ago at Commodity Classic that Phospholutions introduced RhizoSorb® and this year they are ready to go full scale with a product that is the first proven fertilizer technology to reduce phosphorus use by 50% while preserving grower yields.

    “We just recently completed a life cycle analysis that shows we can reduce carbon emissions 45% compared to MAP (Mono-Ammonium Phosphate fertilizer), said Craig Dick, VP of Sales and Marketing at Phospholutions. “That’s huge with the impending 45Z low carbon fuels initiative. It can really help a grower lower his carbon index score…every little bit potentially matters.”

    There was a lot of grower interest in RhizoSorb® during a session at Classic and at the booth. To help farmers adopt RhizoSorb 8-39-0 this year Dick says they are offering the RhizoSorb Grower Guarantee to corn growers who purchase a minimum of 200 acres.

    Learn more in this interview from Commodity Classic.
    Classic24 Craig Dick, Phospholutions 3:55

    AgWired Precision, Audio, carbon, Commodity Classic, Precision Agriculture

    SD Paves Way for Pipeline Project to Move Forward

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Summit Carbon Solutions

    The South Dakota Legislature this week gave a win to the proposed carbon pipeline projects in the state, passing a package of legislation that provides landowner protections and property tax relief to those affected, as well as preserves local zoning. The South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB), South Dakota Corn Growers Association, South Dakota Soybean Association, and South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association all gave their blessing to the nation’s first Landowner Bill of Rights. Governor Kristi Noem has said she will sign the bill which will allow Summit Carbon Solutions to move forward with its multi-state carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) pipeline project.

    “Our goal has been for South Dakota producers to have market access to value-added opportunities while protecting property rights on both sides of this issue,” said Scott VanderWal, SDFB president. “We also fought to ensure that affected landowners would be treated fairly and share in profits. Both affected property owners and counties will have an annual amount to apply toward property tax relief or county general funds.”

    A $.50 per linear foot annual property tax credit will go to affected landowners. The county tax credit is tied to a claim of the federal tax credit in 45Q by a pipeline company.

    Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank at 2024 National Ethanol Conference

    Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions, called it a win-win scenario for all involved. “We appreciate the attention and engagement from so many South Dakotans, especially our partners and agricultural leaders,” said Blank. “We are excited to have a path forward that establishes best practices we are committed to following in South Dakota and across our entire project.”

    Blank was on a panel at the recent National Ethanol Conference where he had a very frank discussion with Renewable Fuels Association VP for Strategy and Innovation Tad Hepner about where the pipeline project stands right now. He said that the company has “hardened (its) attitude towards accomplishing this project” in spite of all the set backs and challenges and he admits they made some mistakes at the beginning. “To be fair, I think we deserved a little criticism early…which is the reason I think the original founders of the company decided to take a more agricultural role,” said Blank. “We have made 5800 route changes to this pipe because we do recognize now how that landowner values his acre.”

    Listen to some of Blank’s comments on the panel here:
    NEC24 Lee Blank, Summit Carbon Solutions, panel comments 9:50

    2024 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

    Audio, carbon, Corn, Ethanol

    Envita SC Nitrogen Fixing Compound Approved in California

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Azotic Technologies announces approval of Envita® SC today by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for agricultural use in California.

    Envita® SC is a highly effective nitrogen-fixing product based on Gd (Gluconocetobacter diazotrophicus) that creates a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, stems and leaves, fixing nitrogen from inside plant cells. Envita SC is one of the most efficient N-fixing microbes available for use in agricultural applications and has demonstrated outstanding results across a multitude of crops worldwide.

    The company’s Global VP Commercial, Thomas Chavez, states that “Azotic® has confirmed results (N-fixation) of Envita SC, with expanding market access in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company has demonstrated efficacy in a variety of crops that ensure significant benefits to growers.”

    Aaron Eddy, US National Sales Manager, emphasizes that this registration is timely as farmers in California are looking for new and effective crop inputs. Envita SC can be applied post-emergence foliar or in-furrow at planting, which fits seamlessly with modern farming practices.

    AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management

    ZimmCast 727 – Syngenta at Commodity Classic 2024

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    Once again I learned all about what’s new in the world of agribusiness for Syngenta during the Commodity Classic which was just held in Houston, TX. So this episode will feature interviews I did in the Syngenta booth.

    Between Cindy and myself this was our 7th conference of the year. You can find virtual newsrooms from them all on AgNewsWire.com. In there are photos and lots of interviews.

    Syngenta Seeds North AmericaSo, these are some interview I picked out to provide a good selection of topics from Syngenta: Eric Boeck, Regional Director North America Seeds at Syngenta; Liz Hunt, Sustainable & Responsible Business Head, Syngenta; Jim Shertzer, Head of Branded Marketing, Syngenta North America Seeds; Matt Dolch and Jared Benson, NK corn and soybean product managers; Kramer Farney, Golden Harvest head of marketing

    Next on the AgriBlogging Highway Cindy will be at the ACE DC Fly-in. I will be at the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit and National Ag Day activities. Then we will both be at the Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, MO with a booth in the Connection Point. We launched ZimmComm publicly at the 2004 Agri-Marketing Conference.

    We are already celebrating 20 years since we created ZimmComm and “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” BTW. I did see Grateful Dead live and in concert many, many years ago.

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 727 - Syngenta at Commodity Classic (26:80)

    That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Crop Protection, Golden Harvest, NK Seeds, Sustainability, Syngenta, ZimmCast

    Study Finds Higher Corn Yield with Pivot Bio Microbial Nitrogen

    Cindy Zimmerman

    A recent study at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment found that replacing 40 pounds of synthetic nitrogen with Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 can increase corn yields while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizer. The study showed an average corn yield of 195 bushels per acre across nitrogen rates, and plots treated with PROVEN 40 yielded an average of 11 bushels per acre more than the control plots.

    Higher yields also suggest that applying microbial nitrogen in furrow can help bridge the nitrogen gap that can occur in fields with cover crop rotations. This occurs because the nitrogen is delivered directly to the roots, avoiding competition with cover crop residue. The increase is particularly noteworthy given the use of cereal rye cover crops and the lack of rainfall during various parts of the growing season. Under normal conditions, cereal rye competes with corn for available nitrogen.

    Similarly, studies at North Carolina State University found that replacing 40 pounds of synthetic nitrogen with PROVEN 40 resulted in increased nitrogen and potassium uptake, resulting in greater biomass. Other results from the studies indicated higher corn yields.

    “The study’s findings underscore the potential of microbial nitrogen fertilizer to maintain and even increase crop yields while reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers,” said Clayton Nevins, senior agronomic scientist for Pivot Bio. “Not only are you replacing 40 pounds of synthetic nitrogen, but you are also delivering nitrogen straight to the roots, boosting plant health earlier in the season.”

    Corn, Fertilizer, Nutrient Management, Soil

    Commodity #Classic24 Was a Record Breaker

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The 2024 Commodity Classic blasted off into a new galaxy last week in Houston with the largest attendance ever at 11,500 attendees, smashing the previous record of 10,400 last year in Orlando. There were more than 4,600 farmers at the February 28-March 2 event this year along with exhibitors, industry stakeholders, and ag media.

    This year’s event featured more than 30 educational sessions, two sold-out trade show floors with over 435 exhibitors, a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, and policy meetings of the sponsoring commodity associations. Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is presented annually by the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

    One of the highlights of the event is hearing from Commodity Classic organization leaders on stage – listen here.
    Classic24 Organization leaders 43:16

    2024 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    AEM, Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, NAWG, NCGA, NSP