One of the drawbacks of having a conference right after the holidays is that you may have some presenters end up sick. But not usually four in the same session. That’s what happened at the Economics and Marketing part of the National Cotton Conferences last week in Fort Worth, but Dale Cougot of Olam Agri, who serves as the National …
U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Update
The Beltwide Cotton Conferences Sustainability Conference included an update on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol by new executive director Daren Abney who assumed that position in July 2023. Abney says membership in the program continues to increase. “We work with the entire cotton supply chain so we take memberships from growers all the way up to retailers and brands,” said …
Cotton Consultants Kick Off Beltwide
The Consultants Conference kicked off three days of Beltwide Cotton Conferences Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas. Louisiana consultant Hank Jones says the committee works to include lots of topics of interest to cotton consultants. “We try to cover a wide range of topics and certainly we want to stay current, and want to address topics that are going to provide …
2024 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Kick Off
The National Cotton Council (NCC) and its cooperating partners are starting the new year with the 2024 Beltwide Cotton Conferences getting underway today in Fort Worth, Texas. Conferences coordinator Lauren Krogman says attendance is back to pre-COVID levels. “Right now our registration numbers are close to 800 so we are really happy to see everyone here,” said Krogman, who adds …
ZimmCast 723 – 2023 Events Compilation
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. As we come to the end of 2023, we already have dates on the calendar going into the new year for about the same events we did this year, most of which we have been doing for about 15 years. From Beltwide Cotton Conferences right after new years to the American Seed Trade association …
DWFI Podcast 31 – Agriculture in Space
Yufeng Ge, Santosh Pitla and David Jones have already conducted research in the areas of ag-relevant sensors for more efficient application of fertilizer and water, and the development of an autonomous planter capable of seeding a 5-acre field all on its own. But now they’ve set their sights quite a bit higher — growing food in space. The three biological …
ASTA FCSC Farm Bill Session
As most of agriculture knows, Congress agreed last month to an extension of the current farm bill to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers, but when a new farm bill will be crafted remains uncertain. At the recent American Seed Trade Association Field Crop Seed Convention, Syngenta’s Mary Kay Thatcher moderated a …
Ethanol Industry Pleased with SAF Guidance
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today released guidance on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Under the guidance issued today, numerous fuels will qualify for the credit, including valid biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuels, cellulosic biofuel, or cellulosic diesel that have been approved by EPA under the Renewable …
Climate Smart Ag Partnerships at ASTA FCSC
With governments and corporations increasingly leading with climate-smart and sustainability initiatives, there is a role for the seed industry to play. At the American Seed Trade Association’s Field Crop Seed Convention last week, former USDA NRCS Chief Bruce Knight with Strategic Conservation Solutions led a panel on the topic with Ben West, Farmers for Soil Health, and Jared Knock, South …
ASTA Chair Pleased With Industry Direction
American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Chair Dave Armstrong, President and CEO of Sakata Seed America, sees a lot of opportunity for the seed industry right now. “Conservation and cover crops is one area ASTA has been spending a lot of time on because that’s an emerging and rapidly evolving segment for the seed industry,” said Armstrong. “Treated seed is another …