In this edition, we hear from a Texas farmer who grows both organic and traditional cotton and peanuts, as well as other crops. Jeremy Brown is one of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) faces of farming, which has given him the opportunity to engage with the non-farm public on the highly emotional topic of biotechnology and GMO crops …
Precision Ag Bytes 11/1
National Plant Genome Initiative, shepherded by the National Corn Growers Association, is celebrating 20 years of genetic research. The historic research effort to map the corn genome has resulted in significant economic and environmental dividends for farmers and society at large. Mycogen’s Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program is working with select retailers and local FFA chapters to offer …
Ibach Sworn in, Northey Still on Hold for USDA
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue traveled to Omaha yesterday to swear-in new Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach in his home state. “Greg Ibach will bring experience and integrity to his new role at USDA, and carries with him the knowledge he’s gained in the dozen years he has served as Nebraska’s Director of Agriculture,” said Secretary Perdue. …
John Deere Features Combine Technology at Sunbelt Ag Expo
This year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo was an opportunity for John Deere to show off some new combines to growers in the Southeastern United States. Technical Marketing Manager for Combines and Cotton Equipment Matt Badding said the new S700 series combine offers three new features: the Gen4 Command Center, the Combine Advisor package, and Active Yield for sensor calibration. “Right now, …
2017-18 National FFA Officer Team Elected
Students from Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky and Oklahoma were elected to serve on the 2017-18 National FFA Officer team. Breanna Holbert, an agricultural education major at California State University of Chico, made history as the first female African American elected as National FFA president. Her fellow officers include: National Secretary – Erica Baier, agricultural education major at Iowa State …
USFRA Supporting Food Evolution Movie
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is supporting a new film that offers an independent investigation into biotechnology that concludes GMOs may well be a force for good to feed the world. Food Evolution, which is now streaming on Hulu, was commissioned by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and directed by Academy Award®-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy. “The …
House Ag Chair Says Farm Bill on Track
House Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Conaway (R-TX) says they are moving forward with work on the 2018 Farm Bill. “Still on track for late for fourth quarter (this year) or early first quarter of next year,” said Conaway during a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “We’re going to be ready on the committee…when floor time opens up.” Rep. Conaway was …
Precision Ag Bytes 10/25
Monsanto has filed a complaint in Pulaski County Circuit Court in response to the Arkansas Plant Board’s decision to continue Arkansas’s ban of XtendiMax® for the 2018 growing season. The Plant Board overlooked extensive volatility data provided to it – including data EPA used in its registration decision, says Scott Partridge, Vice President of Global Strategy. The AgGateway Annual Conference …
SMART Farmer Rochelle Krusemark
Rochelle Krusemark is a Minnesota grain and soybean farmer, a state and national soybean board and USFRA board member, wife, mother and grandmother – all at the same time! Obviously a busy lady, Rochelle squeezed in time as she was watching her two toddler grandsons to tell us what being a SMART farmer means to her, and why she is …
Agrikua’s Gender Equality Project = 1st at #YouthAgSummit
Last week, I was given the opportunity to attend the 2017 Youth Ag Summit organized by Bayer Crop Science. Never have I ever attended such a motivating and uplifting agricultural event. One hundred young people, aged 18-25, gathered in Brussels, Belgium to tackle some of the world’s top issues in agriculture. During the Summit, delegates worked in groups of ten …