The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) opened its 2018 Conference and Expo in Boca Raton, Florida yesterday, bringing together nearly 600 agricultural retail leaders, suppliers, and industry partners. “The ARA Conference and Expo is the premier event for ag retailers,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “Each year we come together to honor the industry’s best. We hear from engaging …
Leaf Spot is FMC Disease of the Year
If there were an award for crop disease of the year, it would be a tie between two types of leaf spot this year, according to FMC Technical Service Rep Nick Hustedde. “In corn, we’ve had a tremendous amount of grey leaf spot…in soybeans, it seems like frogeye leaf spot’s the clear winner,” said Hustedde, adding that both are caused …
Enogen Means Energy for Feed and Fuel
The same trait that makes Enogen corn hybrids great for ethanol production is also good for livestock feed. The higher levels of the alpha-amylase enzyme in these hybrids help break down sugar into energy more efficiently which benefits both ethanol producers and cattle. “The Enogen technology and how it gains efficiencies and makes the ethanol plant money is similar in …
Farmers Mutual Hail Partners with Climate Corporation
The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Bayer, is partnering with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa (FMH) on a platform expanding Climate FieldView™ for crop insurance reporting. “We are excited about working with The Climate Corporation to add an easy-to-use reporting option for our policyholders who use FieldView and agents utilizing FMH Precision Crop Insurance Solutions™,” said Ron Rutledge, …
FMC Wins Big at Agrow Awards
FMC Corporation took top honors in several categories at the 2018 Agrow Awards, an international competition honoring the top advancements in agriculture. FMC won Best R&D Pipeline and Best Application Technology for its at-plant 3RIVE 3D® application system. In addition, Dr. William E. Barnette, retired director of Discovery Chemistry for FMC, was recognized with the prestigious Agrow Lifetime Achievement Award. …
Corn Growers Request Changes in Trade Relief Package
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is urging Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to consider changes to the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) ahead of the second round of payments. In a letter to Perdue, NCGA president Lynn Chrisp said that many farmers are “disappointed in USDA’s approach to calculating the first round of MFP payments because it was too narrow in …
Ethanol Report from 2018 NAFB Convention
The new president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) met with farm broadcasters from around the country recently at the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk. While Geoff Cooper has been with RFA since 2008, it was the first time he had the opportunity to talk with the ag media as CEO. Among the topics he …
New NCGA CEO Talks Corn Issues at #NAFB18
Jon Doggett participated in his first NAFB Trade Talk this year as CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. Doggett is no stranger to farm broadcasters, having served as head of NCGA’s policy efforts in Washington D.C. since 2002 and becoming executive vice president in 2014. But he was just officially named CEO in September. “I thought I was traveling …
Driving Ethanol Series on 10 Years of Growth Energy
Growth Energy was created in November 2008 and so is celebrating ten years of advocating for ethanol this month. This edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast is the first in a series of three focusing on a decade of accomplishments for the organization. This podcast includes historical comments from the early years with industry leaders, including Greg Krissek, who was …
USDA and FDA to Jointly Regulate Cell-Cultured Meat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced plans to jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry, better known by meat producers as “fake meat.” The joint regulatory framework would include FDA overseeing cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation. A transition from FDA to USDA …