The 2013 Livestock Marketing Association’s Annual Meeting and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship recently took place in Montgomery, Alabama. The Montgomery Stockyards took the honor of hosting the convention and sponsored the Friday night meal and entertainment. Jerry Etheridge with Montgomery Stockyards met guests at Union Station where the event was held and Chuck met up with him there. The team …
Honey Bee Health at Bayer
Time to add bee care to the endless list of projects Bayer has taken on. During Bayer’s 150th Anniversary attendees had the opportunity to take in the mobile bee exhibit that is touring the country through trade shows and meetings. Robyn Kneed is the project lead for Bee Care at Bayer. She manages the bee camp programs throughout North America. …
NCGA Tools for Water Quality
To help corn farmers understand water issues and ways to enhance water quality on their farms, the National Corn Growers Association has added a video and an interactive educational module to its online learning tools concerning water quality management. The video, titled “Driving Change,” showcases NCGA members describing the practices they are implementing to enhance water quality on their farms …
Danforth Receives IFAMA Award
Dr. William H. Danforth was honored by the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) with the organization’s inaugural Distinguished Service Award for his significant contributions to education, plant and life sciences, and advancements in agriculture. “Dr. Danforth’s positive influence on agricultural sciences is immeasurable,” said Thad Simons, president and CEO of Novus International, and incoming president of IFAMA. “From …
Farm Bill Blame Game
The shock over the defeat of the farm bill in the U.S. House of Representatives had barely sunk in Thursday when the blame game began. It started on the floor of the House when Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) was giving an update on next week’s schedule and Minority Whip Steney Hoyer (D-VA) asked whether the student loan program would …
Trust the Technology
Choosing how much nitrogen (N) to put on fields isn’t something farmers take lightly. Many factors go into the decision, including past experiences, the timing of application, yield goals, and results from soil tests. That’s where crop sensor products such as OptRX from Ag Leader can help. When the OptRx sensors detect healthy plants, the system will call for less …
Zimfo Bytes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Walla Walla sweet onion producers will vote from September 14, 2013 through October 4, 2013, on whether to continue their Federal marketing order. The Farm Credit Administration Board has appointed Elizabeth M. Dean as the Inspector General for the agency. Ms. Dean succeeds Carl Clinefelter who retired earlier this year. Dr. William H. …
Update on Accord
The 130th ASTA annual meeting gave attendees an opportunity to receive an update on the progress of the Accord initiative that is a joint effort of ASTA with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). “The Accord is an industry-led framework that is meant to address situations when biotech events go off patent and how we maintain the regulatory approvals worldwide for …
Ag Disappointed in House Farm Bill Vote
The defeat of a five year farm bill in the House of Representatives was unexpected and disappointing to agricultural organizations looking forward to getting some certainty for the future after last year’s drawn out battle that ultimately ended in a one year extension of the 2008 bill. “The American Farm Bureau Federation is highly disappointed the House did not complete …
Seed Advocate Program Launched at ASTA Meeting
The American Seed Trade Association introduced their new seed advocate program at the 130th ASTA annual meeting. The intention of the program is to help grow grassroots leadership to communicate with policy makers about the seed industry. “We will provide them with the information and tools they need so they can continue that interaction with their government employees for positive …