The panel of farmer CEOs at the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum were pretty funny guys, in addition to being sharp businessmen. The “How Today’s Farmer CEOs are Reshaping Modern Ag” panelists were (left to right) Chad Leman, co-owner of Leman Farms hog operation in Illinois; Jeremy Jack, partner at Silent Shade Planting Company in Mississippi; and Bruce “Onion Man” …
Bayer CropScience CEO on What the World Needs
Once upon a time, all the world needed was love, sweet love – but life is a little more complicated these days. The theme of the ninth annual Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum was “What the World Needs” and topics included water security, communications, innovation, pollinators and sustainable farmers. At the end of the two-day event, Bayer CropScience president and …
Vilsack at NFU Announces Small Farmer Help
During an appearance at the National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Santa Fe, New Mexico today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and expanded efforts to connect smaller farmers and ranchers with USDA resources that can “help them build stronger businesses, expand to reach new and larger markets, and grow their operations.” In a press conference from the NFU convention …
New Poll Finds Farmers Less Optimistic
A new poll of Iowa farmers finds less optimism about the financial picture of agriculture this year. The Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll, launched last month in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), found that farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures – spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop …
ASA Honors Lifetime Achievements
The American Soybean Association awarded two lifetime achievement awards during the annual banquet at Commodity Classic. One was presented to a long-time friend of ours. Dave Drennan received the Lifetime Achievement Award – Membership Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers. Drennan started his career with …
BASF Celebrates Corn and Soybean Farmers
BASF Crop Protection helped corn and soybean growers celebrate the achievements of the past year as sponsors of the big association banquets during the Commodity Classic last week. At the National Corn Growers Association banquet, BASF Manager for Plant Health and Seed Treatment Dr. Gary Fellows talked about how corn growers are living Howard Buffett’s “40 Chances” challenge to make …
Bayer Brings in Bloggers for Panel
During the Ag Issues Forum ahead of Commodity Classic last week, Bayer Crop Science brought in a panel of bloggers for a session called “Welcome to MY World: Consumers and Growers Seek Common Ground,” a conversation between three bloggers. The panel answered questions such as “What do your followers want to hear, how are they getting their information, and how …
Seed Treatment Stewardship Promoted at Classic
We first heard about “The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship” last year at Commodity Classic. The second phase roll out of the guide – produced by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) in collaboration with organizations like the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association and American Farm Bureau – began this year and we heard more about it from …
More Time to Enter Golden ARC Awards
So, what are you doing this weekend? How about working on your Golden ARC Awards entry? After receiving requests from multiple Commodity Classic attendees, the Agricultural Relations Council folks decided to extend the deadline for the 2014 Golden ARC Awards Contest to next Tuesday March 11, 2014. The 2014 Golden ARC Awards competition includes 35 categories for agricultural public relations …
New Seed World Editor
Congrats to Julie Deering (née Douglas) who has been named new editor of Seed World. We just saw Julie last week at the Commodity Classic and Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum, where she was busily gathering content to use in upcoming Seed World issues. This probably means we will get to see her again at the American Seed Trade Association …