Happy National Co-op Month!

Cindy Zimmerman

National Co-op Month has been celebrated annually in October across the United States for more than half a century and this year’s theme is “Cooperatives Build.” “The cooperative business model continues to perform strongly,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “While the model has long been one of the hallmarks of rural economies, its reach has greatly expanded to include almost …

Cooperatives, GROWMARK, USDA

October is “Get to Know GMOs” Month

Cindy Zimmerman

GMO Answers has proclaimed October as “Get to Know GMOs” month to answer consumers’ most pressing questions about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). “Since the launch of GMO Answers, we have answered over a thousand consumer questions about genetically modified foods—where they come from, how they’re used, and why they’re an important part of our food supply,” said Kate Hall, managing …

Biotech, Food, GMO

#Sustainable Farming Info from @USFRA

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) has just released a new animated video short and educational infographics highlighting sustainable farming and ranching practices to help answer questions consumers have about how food is grown and raised, including questions about sustainability practices on and around farms and ranches. “Sustainability is a vital part of our everyday lives as farmers and ranchers, …

Education, Food, USFRA, Video

AgCareers.com Offers Leadership Enhancement Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman

AgCareers.com has a Leadership Enhancement Workshop coming up next month in Omaha for managers interested in taking their leadership to the next level. This face-to-face workshop is rooted in sound leadership theory but is paired with a unique hands-on, fun approach to reinforce learning principles in a memorable and enriching manner. Participants will gain a holistic view of the importance …

AgCareers, Education

Atrazine Comment Deadline This Week

Cindy Zimmerman

Growers and other interested stakeholders have until Wednesday of this week to make comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on its review of the herbicide atrazine, which includes a recommendation that could result in a loss of this crop protection tool. Atrazine is currently under EPA registration review, which is required for all pesticides every 15 years to update and …

ARA, Crop Protection, EPA, NCGA

Shake Up on NAFB Board

Cindy Zimmerman

If you are a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), you probably received an email yesterday from the organization that there will be a special election at the annual convention next month to replace Tony St. James as 2017 NAFB president. According to the email, This action is the direct result of the NAFB Board of Directors’ …

NAFB

Where’s the #Peanut Emoji?

Cindy Zimmerman

Most people who are active on social media know what an emoji is – those cute little images used in text messages, Twitter and Facebook posts. They started many years ago with the simple smiley or sad face made from the combination of colons and parentheses like this – 🙂 Now emojis are everywhere, and they’ve evolved well beyond facial …

Peanuts, Social Media

Congress Ratifies Treaty Tied to Global Food Security

Cindy Zimmerman

Congress made history last night by finally passing a broadly-supported international treaty to strengthen American agriculture and enhance global food security, an action endorsed by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). First signed by President George W. Bush, and pending for nearly 15 years, the now ratified International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (“The Treaty”) will …

ASTA, International, Seed

Bayer Allows Belt Decision to Stand

Cindy Zimmerman

The Crop Science division of Bayer today announced its final decision on whether to contest EPA’s cancellation of the insecticide flubendiamide, marketed under the trade name Belt. Charlotte Sanson, director of registrations for the company, says they “will not engage in further legal dispute” over the matter. “Nevertheless we will continue to stand up for our growers’ access to safe, …

Bayer, EPA

Hail to the New #Soybean King

Cindy Zimmerman

Randy Dowdy of Georgia already broke corn yield records with nearly 504 bushels per acre in 2014. Now he has claimed the world record soybean yield title with 171 bushels per acre, topping Kip Cullers’ previous soybean yield record of 160 set back in 2010. “As growers, sometimes we make high yields and sometimes we don’t,” said Dowdy at a …

BASF, Soybean