The 1st Annual NAFB Lake Girls Retreat was held this past weekend at the lovely home of the incomparable Sara Wyant and Al Johnson of Agri-Pulse. Some of you may remember that a group of gals who are NAFB old-timers got together and bought the weekend at Al and Sara’s up for bid at the NAFB Foundation auction last fall. …
Wet Weather Slows Planting Progress
Cool, wet weather slowed down corn and soybean planting last week, but didn’t stop it. USDA reports that 38 percent of the soybean crop is now planted and 87 percent of the corn – which is way ahead of last year in both cases and a comfortable amount above normal. Both crops are emerging ahead of normal – corn at …
Groundbreaking for Pioneer Soybean Plant in Missouri
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon joined DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred executives for yesterday’s groundbreaking on a $55 million parent and commercial soybean seed production plant in New Madrid County, Mo. “Missouri’s economic recovery continues to strengthen; and to maintain that momentum, it is vitally important that high-tech, 21st-century companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred invest in Missouri and create new jobs for …
BASF Receives Approval for New Fungicide Seed Treatment
Charter® F2 fungicide seed treatment has received registration from the Environmental Protection Agency, according to BASF Crop Protection. “Charter F2 combines the benefits of Charter® fungicide seed treatment and AcquireTM fungicide seed treatment for convenience of use and excellent seed safety whether applied on-farm or commercially,” said Chris Exton, Marketing Manager, Seed Treatments for BASF Crop Protection. “Charter F2 is …
Ethanol Tweeter Recognized for Use of Social Media
The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) recognized outstanding use of social media in the alternative fuels industry as part of their 16th annual conference held this week in Las Vegas. Robert White, Director of Market Development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), who tweets under the name @fuelinggood, was awarded the 24/7 Blend Award for “his leadership in industry-wide education …
Till, Baby, Till
It may not be very conservation-minded, but it’s still a clever slogan that makes a great t-shirt. The credit for “Till, Baby, Till” goes to SynGest, Inc, the company behind the t-shirt and the website where you can buy it. SynGest CEO Jack Oswald a “Till Baby Till” chant as he delivered the keynote address at the 2010 International Biomass …
Nashville Flood Causes Convention Scramble
The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is the first meeting I have heard about having to move because of the flooding in Nashville, but I am sure there are lots more, just not many ag-related. The APS meeting, which I attended last year in Portland, Ore., is still being held August 7-11 but they don’t know where yet. They sent this …
EU Approves Novus Feed Additive
The European Union has approved the use of Novus International’s MINTREX chelated trace minerals as feed additives for all species. Specifically, the EU registration applies to MINTREX® Zinc (Zn), MINTREX® Manganese (Mn) and MINTREX® Copper (Cu). “Our MINTREX chelated trace mineral line has been successfully addressing animal welfare challenges and cost-versus-performance issues for chicken producers in the EU since late …
National Summit to Wrap Up Rural Tour
A national summit for rural America will be held in Missouri next month to wrap up the Obama administration’s Rural Tour. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host the day-long “National Summit of Rural America: A Dialogue for Renewing Promise” on June 3 on the campus of Jefferson College near St. Louis. “This Summit will be an opportunity for rural Americans …
Syngenta Gets BIO Award for Feeding the World
Syngenta was honored this week at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) International Convention in Chicago with an award recognizing achievements in crop productivity innovations that help feed the world. BIO annually honors companies in the categories of “Healing, Feeding and Fueling the World” based on a pre-conference poll of attendees. Syngenta was named the “Buzz of BIO” award winner in …