The agriculture industry had to wait until right up to the end to learn Trump’s choice for Secretary of Agriculture, but now that he’s nominated former Georgia Governor, Sonny Perdue, the agriculture groups seem generally pleased. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association calls him “an excellent pick” to head USDA. “As a lifelong agri-businessman and veterinarian, as well as the two-term governor …
Trump EPA Nominee Questioned on Ag Issues
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt answered questions about regulatory overreach and his support of renewable fuels during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President-elect Donald Trump. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, first asked Pruitt about making sure the agency is “open, …
12 Years of Blogging for Biodiesel
AgWired is on location this week in San Diego for the 14th National Biodiesel Conference, which marks our 12th year blogging for the biodiesel industry. The Biodiesel Conference Blog is a perfect example of what we do best as a company – gathering photos and audio from an event and making it available online quickly for anyone who might want …
New Offerings for Specialty Crops from John Deere
John Deere has something new up its sleeve again. Carl Weidemeier attended the Potato Expo in San Fransisco to show growers the latest offering for specialty crops. Beginning in the spring of 2017 growers will be able to connect their third party yield monitors to the My John Deere platform. A harness converts the message from the third party monitor …
Nufarm Seeing Results in Citrus Greening
The Potato Expo in San Fansisco earlier this month gave Chuck Zimmerman a chance to talk to Nufarm Manager of Tech Services, Alan Haack about an issue affecting the home state of AgWired’s world headquarters. Citrus greening has devastated the citrus industry of Florida, affecting half of the state’s fruit production. Last year the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture declared a …
#AFBF17 Looks at Immigration Reform
A panel recently addressed the issue of immigration reform at the American Farm Bureau Federation‘s 2017 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show. Tom Hertz, an economist from the Department of Agriculture and Mark Delich, director of congressional affairs at FWD spoke to the attendees about the economic and political realities of the issue, as well as some proposed reforms. Hertz …
USFRA at #AFBF17
One of the new exhibitors at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) 2017 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show in Phoenix this week was the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), a group that AFBF was instrumental in creating five years ago. USFRA Senior Manager for Affiliate Relations and Ag Communications Paul Spooner chatted with Farm Bureau members at the …
NASDA and @FarmBureau Presidents Town Hall
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall held a town hall meeting with National Association of State Departments of Agriculture President and Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain this week at the 2017 Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show to discuss issues critical to American agriculture, including who the next agriculture secretary might be. “The only thing I can tell you …
U.S. & Cuba Trade Workshop at #AFBF17
Cuba has become a near and dear topic for me since visiting the country a few months ago with fellow ag media. The people of Cuba are eager to normalize relations with their big neighbor to the North opening trade and opportunities for U.S. agriculture. During the 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show experts gathered …
GROWMARK’s New Nationwide Scholarship Program
GROWMARK is announcing a new scholarship program, according to Youth and Cooperative Education Specialist Karen Jones. “The GROWMARK Foundation was looking for ways to support education in agriculture for students. We decided a scholarship would be a great way to support students studying agriculture, those who become our future employees or future customers or members,” Jones says. Fifteen students will …