Precision Ag News 6/11

Carrie Muehling

  • Veteran’s Carbon Holdings (VCH) announced it will distribute $1.1 billion in direct payments to U.S. farmers and landowners who bury organic carbon over the next nine years. Established in 2024, the newly launched Carbon Development Program provides farmers and landowners across the Midwest and Western United States with an innovative method to generate a great deal of money and substantial annual income, sequestering organic carbon in agricultural soils.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased to announce that industrial biotech luminaries Drs. Doug Cameron and Chris Guske will be judges for Consider Corn Challenge V. Cameron and Guske have been instrumental in discovery, development, scale-up, financing and on-going management of numerous biotech technologies. Their participation as judges brings decades of expertise in identifying and commercializing successful products to the Consider Corn Challenge V winner selection process.
  • As part of Bayer Crop Science efforts to deliver an even more personalized, insight-driven experience for farmers ahead of a decade of unprecedented innovation in seed and crop protection, Channel is unveiling several new initiatives to deliver more performance and value to the farmer. To provide an even deeper level of support and service, Channel will introduce a Sales Agronomist role in Summer 2025. Channel is also launching a new monthly Profit Planning series featuring subject matter experts who will tackle timely, relevant topics aimed at helping farmers optimize every acre.
  • Built on the same Axiom AI infrastructure and leveraging GROWERS’ proprietary transaction and loyalty data, the Predictive Insights Engine synthesizes years of historical behavior with current activity to generate actionable insights, including churn prediction, customer engagement scoring, and product adoption forecasting. These insights are now being integrated directly into the GROWERS Loyalty Platform, enabling sales teams, marketers, and executives to anticipate customer behavior and take proactive action.
  • Performance Nutrition, a specialty provider of innovative agricultural and turf fertilizers and crop protection products, announced today that it has expanded its Prudent line of urea phosphite-based fertilizers with the commercial launch of two new products. Both products are now available for purchase through Performance Nutrition’s distribution partners throughout the United States.
  • Pro Farm Group has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) coveted Green Chemistry Challenge Award for Design of Safer and Degradable Chemicals.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Hall of Fame welcomed two remarkable individuals during the 2025 Conservation in Action Tour on May 7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dwayne Beck, Ph.D., and David Brandt (awarded posthumously) were the first farmers inducted into the CTIC Hall of Fame. Their lifetime of work has advanced conservation agriculture and inspired generations of producers to be more efficient, profitable, and sustainable.
  • Addressing the International Grains Council conference in London, CropLife International President and CEO Emily Rees called for global value-chain cooperation in the face of geopolitical volatility, focusing on the core role of plant-science technology as the driver to meeting future food productivity needs.
  • Sollum Technologies is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Optimal, a leader in AI greenhouse control. This collaboration integrates Sollum’s 100 percent dynamic LED lighting with Optimal’s AI climate and irrigation control platform, enabling growers to precisely execute their desired growing strategy under rapidly changing weather conditions.
  • Southern Illinois University (SIU) will serve as host for research presentations on Tuesday, June 17 at the SIU-Carbondale University Farms. They plan to focus on research funded by the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC).
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Interview with AI Moderator of The Ag Rundown

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I’m going to start by confessing that I have not used AI. Well, actually that is on purpose since a lot of things are now inside applications that we’ve been using for a long time. Maybe it is time to learn more and here’s one way.

    Have you heard of The Ag Rundown podcast? Using an AI moderator, it is a daily brief to keep you informed about the latest trends and updates in the agriculture industry. And yes, the moderator has a name. The program is produced by Mad Mule Media.

    In fact my first question for the interview is this – Alex, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Just listen in to the interview for more Q&A.

    Listen to my interview with Alex Rivers: Interview with Alex Rivers, The Ag Rundown

    You can listen on the website or subscribe. Here are a few options:

    Apple Podcasts
    Podbean
    Spotify

    So. There you have it. AI, Agriculture, Podcast, News and More. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this very unique project that is ready for prime time. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. A real human.

    Audio, Media, Podcasts

    ZimmCast 747 – Preview of 2025 IFAJ Congress

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    In this program we’re going to get a preview of the 2025 IFAJ Congress which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, October 15–18.

    After our preview I’m going to add a most recent example of how you can make your news release talk. More at the end.

    So, let’s get started. I have Steve Werblow, IFAJ President and Aghan Daniel, MESHA, the coordinating organization. First up is Steve followed by Daniel.

    IFAJ Congress 2025They give us details about the Congress and the location it will be held as well as who can register and attend the Congress. You can find the schedule here. And you can register here.

    Daniel and his organization will certainly have a variety of interesting places to see and of course, talk to ag journalists from around the world. If you haven’t attended an IFAJ Congress I can’t recommend it enough.

    So, before I close I include an interview with Performance Nutrition. The company had us distribute a news release for them and we worked with them on an interview to add a voice to their message. We’re getting more requests for this. Their interview is included and you can find the full release on AgNewsWire.com.

    It’s easy to include an interview with your release on AgNewsWire by sending us an interview audio file or have us conduct the interview for a small fee. And if you have question just contact me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 747 - Preview of 2025 IFAJ Congress (28:35)

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. Please let us know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Ag Groups, Audio, IFAJ, International, Media, ZimmCast

    Animal Ag News 6/9

    Carrie Muehling

  • The third webinar in USFRA’s series on the five key opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture identified in U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action’s “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative” report will be held Tuesday, June 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CT. The focus is on the challenges and opportunities in animal protein production.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is committed to its mission of being the voice of the U.S. animal food industry, influencing policy and connecting people. Given the evolving needs of its 650 feed and pet food industry members, along with projected growth within the organization’s many leading educational programs, networking events and requests for expert analysis, the AFIA is embarking on an organizational realignment. The restructuring will enhance the impact, operational efficiency and stakeholder engagement of the association.
  • The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is pleased to announce that Megan Underwood has returned to serve as the Communications Coordinator. In her role, Underwood will lead the communication efforts of the association, serve as the editor of Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture, and assist the marketing team in developing the national advertising campaign.
  • A new collaborative initiative, Hogs for Hunger, is set to tackle food insecurity in Northeast Missouri by supplying area food pantries with locally produced pork. This innovative program is a partnership between Missouri Farmers Care, the Missouri Pork Association, and United Way of the Mark Twain Area. Both Missouri Farmers Care and United Way of the Mark Twain Area have overseen efforts to get more locally donated pork into pantries. By teaming up with the Missouri Pork Association, the organizations are creating a larger scale, streamlined process to increase the efficiency and outcomes of their efforts.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) released the updated Dairy Delivers® report, reaffirming the U.S. dairy industry’s immense contributions to the nation’s economy and quality of life for American families and communities. According to the 2025 analysis, dairy supports over 3 million American jobs, $198 billion in wages to American workers, and nearly $780 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy.
  • Several thousand White House employees and Administration appointees were treated to delicious ice cream novelties this afternoon at the White House Summer Social—an appreciation event on the White House Lawn thrown by the Trump Administration for administration officials. Members of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) donated more than 4,600 novelties for the event.
  • BarnTools announced the launch of BinTalk Pro, a next-generation feed monitoring system that delivers near real-time insights, unprecedented accuracy, and comprehensive operational oversight for poultry and swine producers. With updates every 15 minutes, 16 times more frequent than the industry standard, BinTalk Pro enables growers and integrators to detect issues as they develop and prevent costly feed interruptions before they impact production.
  • Poultry industry leaders recently convened in Nashville, Tenn., for USPOULTRY’s 2025 Poultry Processor Workshop, where the spotlight was on leadership, technology, biosecurity and operational excellence. The event offered attendees strategic insights into elevating plant performance, ranging from effective team management and disease prevention to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and preventive maintenance. Presenters stressed that to improve results in every part of the process, teams need to work together, build strong systems and put people first for long-term success.
  • At the 2025 World Pork Expo, leaders from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) delivered a clear message: the pork industry’s future will be strengthened by a united, proactive approach to advocacy. During a live panel discussion and media briefing, NPPC leaders outlined how a comprehensive, coordinated strategy is delivering results for America’s pork producers.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation applauded the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for supporting by voice vote the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a vital piece of legislation for increasing student milk consumption and nutrition access.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    The Farm Cruise Will Take Place in Cozumel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Farm CruiseWant to see what a Farm Cruise is like, check out the first one that made a splash earlier this year. Now it’s time to fill up the Mariner of the Seas which will take off from Galveston, TX and on to Cozumel.

    The Farm Babe and Whet Travel are elated to announce The Farm Cruise, setting sail January 29 – February 2, 2026, round trip from Texas to Cozumel aboard Royal Caribbean’s stunning Mariner of the Seas.

    Farm Cruise is a one of a kind experience, connecting leading ag influencers and ag producers in a unique cruise environment that’s ideal for networking, education, and entertainment, along with some exciting farm-centric experiences.

    You can book your adventure here. Keep in touch on Facebook.

    Events, Farm Shows, International, Marketing

    Secretary Rollins Concludes Trade Mission to Italy

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Secretary Rollins and Italy’s Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins concluded her trade mission to Rome, Italy last week in an effort to improve agricultural market access and expand the reach of the American agricultural industry across the European Union.

    During her visit, Secretary Rollins held a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forests Francesco Lollobrigida and discussed the opportunities that President Trump’s America First agricultural trade agenda provides for U.S.-Italy relations.

    Secretary Rollins also attended a dinner hosted by Minister Lollobrigida and met with more than 50 key Italian officials, leading agri-food industry stakeholders, and prominent representatives from farmers’ associations including meat, wine, dairy, and feed to discuss current successes and future opportunities for U.S.-Italy agricultural trade.

    In addition to meeting with members of the Italian government and agricultural industry, Secretary Rollins met with key agricultural leaders at the United Nations. During her meeting with Director General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization Qu Dongyu, Secretary Rollins reiterated the FAO’s Codex Alimentarius and International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) must be a priority among member nations and remain science, data, and evidence driven in order to facilitate agricultural trade. She also met with Executive Director of the World Food Programme Cindy McCain to discuss the importance of America First priorities and strategize on the utilization of more U.S. grown agricultural commodities in the World Food Programme. In both meetings, the Secretary reiterated that programs that U.S. taxpayers help fund – including at the United Nations – should be in America’s national interest and should purchase their fair share of American commodities.

    Exports, Trade, USDA

    Industry Ag News 6/6

    Carrie Muehling

  • Join NAMA on June 19 for a webinar entitled Leading in Uncertain Times and learn how changing what you focus on can drive profound change. Amy Bradford, former NAMA President, and founder of Cultivate Resilience Coaching, shares a simple yet highly effective framework that zeros in on what drives our behavior, and how working with that knowledge leads to lasting change. Register here.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) concluded the 2025 All-States Leadership Summit, held in Washington, D.C., and released the names of the newly elected members to serve on the National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC). Registration for the 2026 All-States Leadership Summit will open in February 2026.
  • Yield of Dreams, a lager brewed with corn from across Iowa, is returning with hopes of making an even bigger splash. For the second consecutive year, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) has partnered with Confluence Brewing, the Iowa Brewers Guild and Choose Iowa to bring back Yield of Dreams. Eighteen farmers from across Iowa, two from each of the Iowa Corn crop reporting districts, supplied the corn that brewed the 2025 Yield of Dreams. Each farmer donated roughly 1.25-1.5 bushels of corn totaling 12 bushels, or nearly 672 pounds of corn.
  • The National Oilseed Processors Association and Corn Refiners Association released a statement following incorrect and misleading comments from Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary. In an interview, Makary said about seed oils: “generally, they’re believed to be pro-inflammatory,” a disparaging comment that goes against the weight of the established science.
  • Fresh Vintage Farms, a leader in sustainable agricultural practices, announced its innovative initiative to upcycle cosmetically blemished almonds and walnuts, transforming them into high-quality, nutritious oils and condiments. This pioneering effort not only reduces food waste but also provides a vital new revenue stream for California growers.
  • The University of Nebraska has announced a global search for a dynamic and visionary leader to serve as the next Executive Director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI). This pivotal role offers a unique opportunity to spearhead a globally impactful institute dedicated to ensuring water and food security for all.
  • The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City is proud to announce the selection of six individuals to be honored as the 2025 Young Leaders in Agribusiness.
  • Inspire PR Group is one of the top agriculture PR firms in the country, ranking fourth on the O’Dwyer’s PR News annual list of Top Agricultural PR Firms.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced the appointment of Kay Kuenker as a member of the Council of Advisors.
  • A new statewide mental health report released by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with the UF/IFAS Center for Leadership and Mind Your Melon Foundation, finds that Florida farmers and ranchers are facing emotional distress, worsened by financial pressures and natural disasters—including hurricanes.
  • The Corn Refiners Association is pleased to announce the addition of Ameya Khanapurkar as its new Project and Policy Coordinator. In this role – an expansion of the existing CRA staff – Khanapurkar will support a variety of efforts, including the Carbohydrate Check Sample Program, the weekly CRA Trade Update, research work, and more.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Performance Nutrition Expands Urea Phosphite Technology

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Performance Nutrition has expanded its Prudent line of urea phosphite-based fertilizers with the commercial launch of two new products now available through Performance Nutrition’s distribution partners throughout the United States.

    PRUDENT AG and PRUDENT SI expand upon Performance Nutrition’s urea phosphite technology platform that provides superior phosphite mobility for better root and foliar absorption, improved resilience and abiotic stress tolerance, and improved nitrogen and carbon assimilation for better biomass and increased yields.

    Performance Nutrition’s urea phosphite technology achieves superior performance over potassium phosphite, largely due to the difference in ionic charges. Since the surfaces of plants have a net positive ionic charge, the like positive charge of the potassium ion found in potassium phosphite can limit its absorption in the plant and stunt root development and plant growth. With a net zero ionic charge, urea phosphite does not face this barrier, allowing for higher phosphorus uptake and efficacy.

    All Performance Nutrition’s PRUDENT formulations increase stress tolerance and resilience in plants by delivering a readily available phosphite source for rapid plant response, stimulating key pathways that support natural defense mechanisms. With healthier plants, PRUDENT helps crops and turf retain more water to increase drought tolerance and withstand other challenging growing conditions.

    Dr. Chris Underwood, Director of Innovation and Business Development for Performance Nutrition, says their products have long been popular with turf customers. “We’ve now expanded upon this proven technology to formulate PRUDENT AG specifically for row and specialty crop growers,” said Underwood. “The introduction of these two products helps round out our urea phosphite fertilizer offerings for field crop growers. This line-up also includes existing products such as PRUDENT RX, which blends our amino acids and chelated micronutrients technologies with our urea phosphite platform, as well as introducing higher levels of nutrients like nitrogen and nickel.”

    Learn more in this interview with Underwood.
    Interview with Dr. Chris Underwood, Performance Nutrition 8:52

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

    DWFI Executive Director to Retire

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The University of Nebraska has initiated a global search for the next Executive Director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI). After nearly a decade leading DWFI, Peter McCornick announced he will step down as executive director in August 2025 with plans to transition to a full-time faculty role in UNL’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

    Established in 2010 through a landmark $50 million gift from the Robert B. Daugherty Charitable Foundation, DWFI was founded with a clear mission: to address the global challenge of achieving food security with less pressure on water resources through improved management of water in agricultural and food systems. Mr. Daugherty, founder of Valmont Industries, was deeply committed to the efficient and sustainable use of water in agriculture to feed a growing world population, a legacy the Institute continues to uphold.

    Learn more and apply

    Food, people, Research, Water, Water for Food

    Precision Ag News 6/5

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) introduced the Plant Biostimulant Act to create a uniform federal definition for plant biostimulants, establish a consistent regulatory pathway to market, and promote additional research into the benefits of biostimulant products on soil health and crop production.
  • Veteran’s Carbon Holdings announced it will distribute $1.1 billion in direct payments to U.S. farmers and landowners who bury organic carbon over the next nine years. Established in 2024, the newly launched Carbon Development Program provides farmers and landowners across the Midwest and Western United States with an innovative method to generate a great deal of money and substantial annual income, sequestering organic carbon in agricultural soils.
  • Kubota North America announced a strategic collaboration with Agtonomy, a leader in agricultural autonomy software, to commercialize autonomous operations on Kubota diesel tractors for spraying and mowing. This joint effort reflects Kubota’s ongoing commitment to pioneering solutions for specialty crop growers, equipping them with smart technology that enhances efficiency, adaptability, and productivity.
  • Join Women in Ag Tech Group Editor Lara Sowinski July 10 at 2 pm EST for a conversation with Sarah Canada, Chief of Staff to the CTO and Global R&D Operations leader at Corteva Agriscience, on career development inside one of the industry’s leading ag R&D teams. Register here for Strategies for Career Growth and Innovation in Ag Tech R&D.
  • FarmTogether and MyLand announced FarmTogether’s integration of MyLand’s Soil as a Service™ technology across four high-value apple orchards in Washington State. The adoption supports FarmTogether’s broader efforts to enhance operational efficiency, reduce input costs, and advance regenerative agriculture practices across its farmland portfolio.
  • Loveland Products, Inc. and Dyna-Gro Seed, Nutrien Ag Solutions’ proprietary products businesses, are proud to highlight the success of its ongoing collaboration with the Louisiana State University AgCenter through the LPI Research Station Support Fund – a targeted initiative accelerating innovation in rice breeding and early-stage agricultural research.
  • Bayer has developed new tomato varieties that provide growers advanced solutions in their fight against tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). These will launch this year in every major glasshouse tomato segment and provide multi-stacked virus-resistant genes for more durable protection against ToBRFV mutations.
  • Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) specialist Azotic® Technologies Limited has appointed Sander Pabbruwee in the role of CEO, as the company steps up activities to engage more growers in adopting its sustainable agriculture solutions worldwide.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture