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 …
It’s Time to Disrupt the Disruptors
Disruption is everywhere. Disruptive ideas are impacting the way we farm. This year ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference is centered around creating a world-wide disruption of your own. We are just days away from the awe-inspiring event and spoke with Aidan Connolly, Alltech’s Chief Innovation Officer & Vice President, to learn what Disrupt the Disruptors really means. Aidan said the …
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 …
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 …
DairyBusiness Moves to Digital Only Magazine
Beginning June 2017, the DairyBusiness magazine will exclusively be published digitally. This change will expand circulation to at least 50,000 and frequency increased to two issues each month, says Editor and Publisher Joel Hastings. “Dairy producers and their suppliers have moved to the web. With their mobile devices online, producers monitor herd performance, operate farm equipment, check markets and of …
Trump Trade Team to Include New USDA Post
President Trump now has a complete cabinet with Senate approval of Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative, and USDA will soon have an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs to help with the administration’s international trade goals. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a reorganization of USDA yesterday that includes the creation of the new undersecretary, which was approved …