Dr. Pearse Lyons has built a small empire from modest beginnings in Lexington, Kentucky in 1980 and he has done it all by being disruptive. “The question is what disruptive road are you on?” Dr. Lyons asked at the beginning of his presentation during the opening session of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference 2017 – Disrupt the Disruptors. Lyons talked …
GROWMARK Foundation Announces Scholarship Recipients
Fifteen agriculture students have been selected as the first class of recipients of the GROWMARK Foundation scholarship. More than 125 students from across the United States and Ontario, Canada, applied for the award. Applications were evaluated by a panel of agribusiness professionals, and the funds are available for the fall 2018 semester. “We are pleased to provide financial support to …
SMART Farmer Scott VanderWal
In this episode of the SMART Farmer podcast we meet Scott VanderWal, a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and cattle feeder from Volga, South Dakota. In addition to operating the family farm with his father and brothers, Scott serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, and is a board member …
USTR Moves Forward with NAFTA Renegotiation
Just days after being sworn in as United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer notified Congress that President Trump intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Today, President Trump fulfilled one of his key promises to the American people. For years, politicians have called for the renegotiation of this agreement, but President Trump is the first to follow …
Soil Health Institute Announces Action Plan
The Soil Health Institute (SHI) today unveiled the “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life” Soil Health Action Plan during a National Press Club event. “This is an exciting time to be working in soil health,” said SHI president and CEO Wayne Honeycutt. “The action plan identifies critical goals and priorities. It helps identify key gaps in our knowledge and implementation…and we’ve identified …
Novozymes Expanding Nebraska Facility
Novozymes announced a new $36 million investment this week at its Blair, Nebraska manufacturing facility, which produces enzymes for renewable fuels. “Nebraska’s biofuels industry has been a focus for my administration on trade missions because of the international investment we’ve seen here in Nebraska,” said Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. In 2015, Governor Ricketts visited Novozymes’ headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark to …
Secretary Perdue Testifies at First Hearing
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue testified at his first hearing as the new head of USDA. The House Agriculture Committee welcomed Perdue to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify on the “State of the Rural Economy.” Perdue acknowledged that the current state of the rural economy is challenging. “Our farm economy is down about a 50 percent drop in net income …
Hollinrake Named President for Syngenta Seeds
The next time David Hollinrake is interviewed with the Golden ZimmComm Microphone he will be working for a different company, as he has just been named President for Syngenta Seeds, LLC and Syngenta North America Region Director. In this role, David will strengthen Syngenta’s North American seeds business by driving improvements already underway to ensure maximum focus on customers with …
Brownfield Livestock Market Reporter to Retire
Veteran farm broadcaster Jerry Passer is retiring – for real this time. Jerry already retired once after almost 20 years at WMT Radio and TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa but he came out of retirement in 2002, signing a six month agreement to cover livestock markets for Brownfield Ag News that turned into almost 15 years. “For almost 35 years …
Nebraska Governor Praises Grain Trade with Mexico
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts asked grain industry officials from Mexico and the United States join him Tuesday for a press conference to highlight the importance of Mexico to U.S. agriculture and how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has benefited both countries. “Bilateral trade with Mexico has helped grow agriculture in our state over the years,” said Governor Ricketts. …