An organization uniting corn growers of North and South America has elected officers and unveiled a new website. The International Maize Alliance (MAIZALL) was formed in May between the corn industries of the United States, Brazil and Argentina with the goal of addressing key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image. MAIZALL is composed of MAIZAR, representing …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Dave Loebsack
New on Agri-Pulse this week: Congressman Dave Loebsack, who recently hosted Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, in his southeastern Iowa district, explains why he and other Democrats could not support the split farm bill that passed the House a few weeks ago with only GOP votes. Loebsack is quite concerned about failure to get …
AgriVisor Helps Market Grain to Maximize Profitability
Grain marketing in today’s world means diversification and minimizing risk to maximize profitability, and AgriVisor helps farmers do just that. Account manager Cory Winstead says there are several ways they work with farmers. “We work directly with brokerage services and then since 1973 AgriVisor has been putting out general advice with recommendations,” he said. They also work with elevators, offering …
GROWMARK FS Websites Get Updates
The 35 FS member cooperatives of the GROWMARK system are getting updated websites to better serve their customers and farmer-owners. “Technology’s changed so much we really wanted to be able to give our members as much of an advantage with their websites as possible,” said Jana Kiefer, GROWMARK Electronic Communications Coordinator, who noted that they have been in the website …
Senate Ag Committee Approves USDA Nominees
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week unanimously approved the nominations of Krysta Harden to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture and Robert Bonnie to serve as under secretary for natural resources and the environment. Harden has been nominated to succeed Kathleen Merrigan in the second-highest post at USDA Bonnie, while Bonnie, who has been a senior advisor …
Checking in with the AgFanatics
The AgriVisor AgFanatics podcast has logged 40 episodes since its debut in December 2012, and quite a few since we last talked to them in March, so we decided it was time to check in for an update on how these two wild and crazy ag guys are doing. “It’s going great, we’re continuing to gain listeners and we’re continuing …
American Ethanol Wins Ohio NASCAR Race
American Ethanol was in the winner’s circle Wednesday night as Austin Dillon won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Mudsummer Classic. This inaugural event was held at one of the world’s most iconic dirt tracks, Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The race, which was the first NASCAR-sanctioned national event held on a dirt track since 1970, brought American Ethanol to the …
BASF at Peanut Growers Conference
BASF has always been a big supporter of the Southern Peanut Growers Conference and so has Becker Underwood – but this year the two were a single team together. “With the acquisition of Becker Underwood, VAULT as a peanut inoculant is a very important product we’re looking forward to launching from the BASF platform,” said southeast BASF rep Chris Maurer …
Vilsack Questions House Farm Bill
At the Iowa Farm Bureau 2013 Economic Summit on Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack expressed some skepticism about the farm-only farm bill passed by the House. “I’m not sure that what they’ve done up to this point is real or for show,” Vilsack told reporters after addressing the summit. He also wonders why the House leadership is delaying work on …
What China Approval of Monsanto Trait Means
Monsanto officials are pleased with the recent import approval from China for the drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids. According to Monsanto row crop launch lead, Sarah Pierce, the approval granted last month gives farmers who had purchased DroughtGard hybrids in 2013 more options. “(They) signed a stewardship agreement saying they would keep the grain domestic until we …