VANE Agricultural Insurance Solutions Appoints CEO

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

VANE Agricultural Insurance Solutions, a leading provider of custom agricultural insurance, has appointed Clayton Becker as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations, driving business development, and accelerating sales growth while ensuring operational excellence.

Becker brings a wealth of experience in agriculture, with over two decades at Syngenta, and most recently, as President of Farmers National, a leading farm land management services provider. In his new role, Becker will be instrumental in translating business strategy into product strategy, building high-performing teams, and identifying new market opportunities for VANE’s innovative agribusiness revenue and balance sheet protection solutions.

“We are delighted to welcome Clayton to the VANE team,” said Don Preusser, CEO and Founder of VANE. “Clayton’s proven leadership in business development and operational execution will be critical as we continue to expand our reach and provide agribusinesses with specialized, one-of-a-kind, insurance coverage they need to protect against revenue loss due to weather events.”

Becker will also focus on fostering strong relationships with prospects, customers, and business partners, and ensuring VANE’s continued service excellence in the delivery of its unique revenue insurance solutions for agribusinesses.

Crop Insurance, people

U.S. Grains Council Adds BioProducts to Name

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The U.S. Grains Council is officially changing its name to the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC).

“The Council stands on the precipice, and there is the opportunity for exponential growth with becoming the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council,” said Ryan LeGrand, U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council CEO and President. “The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council encompasses both the organization’s grains side and ethanol side to create one global powerhouse organization.”

The name change was passed by delegates at the 65th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting last week. The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council was founded in 1960 as the U.S. Feed Grains Council in order to develop new markets for U.S. coarse grains and co-products. The name was changed to the U.S. Grains Council in 1998.

“We have paid special attention to choosing the right name without abandoning the 65 years of brand equity our members and our past leaders have worked so hard to create,” LeGrand said.

U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council is a non-profit organization that promotes the global use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).

With offices in nine countries, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council supports global economic development through partnerships, enabling U.S. agriculture’s profitability.

Ethanol, USGC

Animal Ag News 8/5

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • Hubbard Feeds, an Alltech company and a leader in livestock nutrition, is pleased to announce that Dr. Troy Wistuba has joined the team as director of beef nutrition.
  • The Livestock Publication Council’s first regional workshop will feature a keynote address by Dr. Temple Grandin, world-renowned animal behaviorist, author, and autism advocate. Registration is now open!
  • The Great Western Ranch, an immense and ecologically significant property spanning approximately 504,801 acres (nearly 790 square miles) across New Mexico, has officially been sold, marking a pivotal moment for one of the largest ranches in America. This landmark transaction underscores a deep commitment to the continuation of responsible land stewardship and conservation practices that define this vast landscape.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is excited to announce that registration for Dairy Forum 2026 is open. From January 25–28, 2026, more than 1,200 leaders from across the dairy supply chain will unite in Palm Desert, California, for the industry’s premier annual event. Held at the luxurious JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Dairy Forum 2026 will bring together executives from dairy processors, cooperatives, retailers, and suppliers to strengthen collaboration, spark innovation, and shape a bold, dynamic future for the industry. This year’s theme— UNITED FOR DAIRY —highlights the industry’s shared commitment to progress through innovation, leadership, and cross-sector partnerships.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the country, welcomed the introduction of federal legislation in the U.S. Senate that would halt the use of dairy terms on the labels of imitation dairy products. Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Jim Risch (R-ID), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the bipartisan Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (DAIRY PRIDE Act) of 2025. The bill would ensure that plant-based products would be prohibited from using dairy terms such as milk, yogurt and cheese on product labels.
  • The Screwworm Coalition of Texas, a coalition of 13 Texas landowner, livestock, equine and wildlife groups, today launched a new website to deliver reliable information about the New World screwworm. The site compiles information from lead agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is currently seeking nominees for the American Egg Board to fill three member and three alternate vacancies in Area I (AL,CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, VA, WV). They will serve a two-year term beginning March 2026 to March 2028. The deadline for nominations to organizations certified in Area I is Friday, September 12, 2025.
  • Environmental managers in the poultry and egg industry face increasing pressure to meet regulatory demands while advancing sustainability and operational efficiency. USPOULTRY’s 2025 Environmental Management Seminar, taking place Sept. 18–19 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Fla., will offer practical insights and forward-thinking strategies to help navigate today’s most pressing environmental challenges. For more information and to register for the 2025 USPOULTRY Environmental Management Seminar, click here.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    National ACT Officers Elected at Ag Media Summit

    Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    National ACT Officers 2025-26

    President – Emma Heiden, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. (2nd from right) Vice President – Wyatt Morrow, Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio (1st on left) Secretary-Treasurer – LaKacee Lipp, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S,D. (2nd from left) Member Relations Coordinator – Lydia Hill, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, Ga. (middle) Communications Coordinator – Katrina Hageman, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa (far right)

    The National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (National ACT) elected its 2025-2026 officers at their annual conference held in conjunction with the recent Agricultural Media Summit in Rogers, Ark.

    The newly elected officers for 2025-2026 are: Emma Heiden, South Dakota State University, president; Wyatt Morrow, Wilmington College, vice president; LaKacee Lipp, South Dakota State University, secretary-treasurer; Lydia Hill, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, member relations coordinator; and Katrina Hageman, Iowa State University, communications coordinator.

    National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (National ACT) is a student-led organization dedicated to fostering professional development, leadership and networking opportunities for college students pursuing careers in agricultural communications.

    With chapters across the country, National ACT connects students with industry professionals, provides hands-on learning experiences, and promotes excellence in communicating agriculture’s story.

    Learn more at www.nactnow.org.

    2025 Agricultural Media Summit Photo Album

    ACN, Ag Media Summit, LPC, Media

    Traction Ag Launches Accounting Integration with Keystone Cooperative

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    Traction Ag Inc., a leading provider of farm accounting and operations software, has just launched its latest billing integration with Keystone Cooperative. This new workflow enables Keystone Cooperative bills to sync directly into Traction Ag’s cloud-based platform, reducing manual data entry and ensuring accounting entries remain accurate and up to date.

    The integration addresses a major need for farmers by saving time and simplifying workflows, allowing them to automatically import, review, and approve Keystone invoices directly in their accounting system, reducing manual entry and freeing up time to focus on running their operation.

    Key Benefits:

    ● Gain clarity on paid and unpaid bills, while keeping a precise inventory of farm inputs
    ● Reduce paperwork and keep farm accounting streamlined and well organized
    ● Save time during peak billing periods
    ● Improve accuracy by eliminating manual data entry errors

    Dustin Sapp, CEO of Traction Ag, highlighted the company’s deep commitment to farm-focused financial tools: “Traction Ag was built from the ground up for the specific demands of farm accounting. When farmers receive Keystone Cooperative bills through our platform, they’re not just logging another expense; they’re gaining full visibility into discounts, inventory, and prepaid inputs. It’s all centralized in one place. That’s what empowers farmers to clearly understand their true financial position and make more confident decisions.”

    The Keystone integration is now available for Traction Ag customers. For more details, visit tractionag.com/integrations/keystone-cooperative.

    AgWired Precision, Cooperatives, Technology

    Industry Ag News 8/4

    Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to provide feedback on the Department’s reorganization plan, as outlined in the Secretary’s memorandum issued on July 24, 2025.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices they use. Nearly 23,000 operators nationwide will receive the 2025 Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey. Data obtained will support the third set of national and regional cropland assessments delivered by USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a multi-agency effort led by NRCS to quantify the effects of conservation practices across the nation’s working lands.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a series of recommendations to the Make America Health Again Commission that will benefit health outcomes and ensure farmers can continue growing safe, healthy and affordable food for America’s families.
  • The National Corn Growers Association, along with 25 state-based corn grower groups, sent a letter to Trump administration officials detailing the worsening economic situation caused by elevated prices for fertilizers and other inputs that are critical for growing corn.
  • On August 13th, the National Peanut Board is hosting a live online event to unveil a bold, unified brand designed to elevate peanuts in the hearts and minds of our consumers. The virtual session will feature a presentation and panel discussion, followed by an interactive session focused on the 2026 rollout of a new consumer campaign for peanuts. Register here.
  • The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Foundation recently awarded college scholarships for 2025, totaling $47,500, to six students studying agriculture communications. The students will attend and be recognized for their achievements at a special NAFB Foundation Celebration Luncheon on Nov. 19, 2025, during the NAFB Convention in Kansas City.
  • National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) will host “From Clicks to Clarity: Using Analytics to Gauge Brand Momentum” with Laura Baumhover and Shannon Hughes from Lessing-Flynn on August 14, 2025 at 11 a.m. Central. NAMA Members attend for free. Non-members are $50.
    Register here.
  • AdFarm is pleased to announce the launch of the Farm Voice Ambassador Program, bringing authentic voices to the center of agricultural communications. The program strives to amplify lived perspectives to build trust and accuracy in how agriculture is understood and represented. Ambassadors will be featured across events, in media and online, to help elevate the important perspectives of producers on both agriculture and mainstream stages.
  • Texas A&M graduate student Jaci Dutton joined the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) as their summer policy intern. Jaci, a native of Sonora, Texas, grew up on a livestock ranch where her passion for agriculture first took root. That early exposure inspired her to pursue a degree in Agricultural Economics and a career in agricultural policy.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Alltech Honors Young Leaders at Ag Media Summit

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    Jenna Whitaker (L) receives award from Jenn Norrie, Alltech

    At last week’s 2025 Ag Media Summit (AMS) in Rogers, Arkansas, four agricultural communications students were honored for their excellence, professionalism and leadership. These awards are made possible by the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Student Award Program, sponsored by Alltech, which provides travel scholarships for four students to attend AMS.

    “Alltech is proud to support the next generation of agricultural communicators as the ambassadors and voice of our industry,” said Jenn Norrie, Alltech’s communications manager for North America and Europe. “These young leaders are playing an instrumental role in sharing stories of farmers and ranchers and are helping to educate the urban population on where and by whom their food is produced.”

    The finalists for this year’s Forrest Bassford Student Award, presented by the LPC, included:
    Rianna Chaney, Oklahoma State University
    Jenna Fiscus, Kansas State University
    Kyra Holt, Texas Tech University
    Jenna Whitaker, University of Idaho

    The winner of the 2025 Forrest Bassford Student Award was Jenna Whitaker, a junior studying agricultural science, communication and leadership who interned this summer with Angus Media.

    “Words are not small things; quite the opposite, actually,” Whitaker wrote in her application essay. “Words have the incredible ability to change lives in an instant. As an avid communicator, reader and storyteller, I recognize the value of the words I choose. As an agriculturalist, I find it disheartening how often the agricultural industry has their words chosen for them. The agricultural industry suffers from a misinformation crisis. Inaccurate information from loud voices leads to false narratives and consumer distrust. I want to use my voice to change that perspective.”

    The Forrest Bassford Student Award was established in 1992 to honor Bassford’s contributions to the Livestock Publications Council and his passion for supporting young people in the field of agricultural communications.

    See all the photos from Ag Media Summit:

    2025 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

    Ag Media Summit, AgWired Animal, Alltech

    Precision Ag News 7/31

    Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • Tech Hub LIVE 2025 was proud to celebrate five incredible years of innovation, collaboration, and growth in ag tech July 21-23 in Des Moines. Starting with another successful Women in Ag Tech meeting, THL recognized Excellence in Ag Tech, heard from the CEO of GreenPoint Ag Holdings, listened to the opinions of real farmers, and much more. THL encapsulated the current state of ag tech through dynamic discussions, forward-thinking sessions, and countless networking opportunities.
  • Bayer advances its blockbuster pipeline submitting registration applications for icafolin-methyl in the European Union, following completed applications in Brazil, United States and Canada, the company announced today. Icafolin is agriculture’s first new mode of action for post-emergent weed control for broadacre crops in over 30 years. With estimated peak sales potential around €750 million, Bayer expects Icafolin will be launched from 2028 onward with initial availability in Brazil. The new operating model DSO has been instrumental for advancing Icafolin regulatory submissions ahead of schedule.
  • Registration is now open for the 2025 Great Plains Water Conference held in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 18 and 19. This year’s conference theme is Securing Water Resources for Tomorrow. The multi-state conference will feature speakers from Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
  • After more than two years of review and revision, an updated version of the AgGateway white paper on Data Ethics and Stewardship is now available to the agriculture industry.
  • The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) held its 2025 Summer Conservation Forum and Tours in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hosted in partnership with Wisconsin Land + Water, this summer’s meeting gathered conservation leaders from across the country for learning, with a spotlight on natural resources conservation in Wisconsin. Participants were welcomed by Governor Tony Evers and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
  • Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), along with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), reintroduced legislation to study the effectiveness of biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass. The bipartisan Biochar Research Network Act would establish a National Biochar Research Network to test the impact of biochar across various soil types, application methods and climates to learn more about its capacity to benefit farmers and the environment.
  • Stine® Seed Company’s new Corn and Soybean Product Guide is all about value. With Stine, farmers get reliable, high-yielding products backed by a partnership they can trust. A commitment to innovation, independence and integrity is reflected in every decision we make and every bag of seed we deliver. The 2026 Corn and Soybean Product Guide offers solutions that help maximize success and minimize risk. Leading the 2026 corn offerings is Stine MX Series Corn, which features the highest-performing hybrids available. These lines are built from Stine’s newest corn genetics and optimized for return on investment, ensuring farmers get more out of every acre.
  • In a new survey, American corn growers say they would face higher costs and reductions in crop yields if they were to lose access to key herbicides like atrazine and glyphosate. The survey comes after the Make America Healthy Again Commission released its preliminary report questioning the safety of the two herbicides.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    ZimmCast 749 – Tech Hub LIVE 2025

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    ZimmCastIn five short years, Tech Hub LIVE has already become the go-to meeting of the year for agricultural retailers and ag tech companies.

    In this edition of the ZimmCast, we hear from a couple of the CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence winners this year – Aman Anand with Nutrien Ag Solutions and Iowa farmer April Hemmes, and we learn more about two of the show’s major sponsors from Scott Cogdill with Agworld, and Kelly Miller of AgriAccess.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 749 - Tech Hub LIVE 2025 (29:11)

    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:

    Agribusiness, Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Podcasts, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology, ZimmCast

    DWFI Podcast 44 – The Vadose Zone

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    The vadose zone is the area between crop roots and the water table, and is a critically important region for storage, transport and transformation of chemicals that can impact groundwater quality. In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, host Frances Hayes talks with Arindam Malakar, a researcher with the Nebraska Water Center (NWC, a part of DWFI) who studies Nebraska’s vadose zone and monitors the impacts of irrigation and fertilizer on groundwater.

    Hayes is also joined by Marie Krausnick, assistant general manager for Nebraska’s Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD). The Upper Big Blue NRD and other NRDs across the state have partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska Water Center in researching nitrate concentration in their districts. While nitrate levels in some areas have decreased in the Upper Big Blue NRD, there has been an overall increase of 54% in the district.

    In Nebraska, as in many parts of the world, one of the key chemicals monitored in the vadose zone is nitrate. Nitrogen is a critical plant nutrient, but once it sinks below the roots and enters the vadose zone, it becomes a liability: both an economic loss for the farmer and a potential public health risk for some rural communities where wells have not been recently tested. Excess nitrate in drinking water can cause adverse health effects, particularly in infants and vulnerable populations, as too much nitrate in the body makes it harder for red blood cells to carry oxygen. Contaminants, like nitrates, present in the vadose zone can eventually appear in the underlying aquifers. NWC takes soil cores all the way down to the groundwater table, sometimes over 100 feet, and tests them for nitrate and other contaminants. These cores are crucial for understanding how water and chemicals move through the soil and potentially reach groundwater. They can also be useful in predicting water quality issues. The Nebraska Water Center Water Sciences Lab has collected vadose cores for decades. To increase the usability of all this data, they launched the Nebraska Vadose Zone Program online portal in 2015 with funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (now the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment), and several Natural Resources Districts (NRDs).

    Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
    DWFI podcast episode 44 50:41

    The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

    How to subscribe:

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Irrigation, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food