Brian O’Keane, Executive Vice President of AgriBank, spoke with our intern, Taylor Truckey, during Trade Talk at the 2014 National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual meeting. AgriBank is one of four banks in the Farm Credit system. Their main priority is accessing capital from Wall Street and making that available for borrowers in rural America. “If you look at the …
How BASF Flo-Rite Helps Increase Yields
Keeping seed treatment on the seed to retain the active ingredient at maximum capacity is one of the main benefits of BASF’s Flo Rite Plantability Seed Coating and that benefits growers at harvest time. “Our Flo Rite plantability polymer acts as a thin film coating that locks that seed treatment on the seed and keeps it there where a grower …
NFU Disagrees with RFS Report Recommendations
The National Farmers Union (NFU) represented agriculture on a Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) advisory group that helped develop a new report on “Options for Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard.” “It was very important that agriculture that supports the renewable fuels industry be present at the table,” said NFU vice president of programs Chandler Goule, who notes that while the meetings …
The AgNerd Cloud
Welcome to a new regular column I will be publishing on all things AgNerdish. I’m calling it the Cloud since the cloud covers everything and is one of the hottest things developing in the AgNerd world. This week’s ZimmCast gets things started with a discussion I had with Willie Vogt, Editorial Director, Penton Farm Progress. Like me, he loves new …
Bayer CropScience Funds FFA Grants
Bayer CropScience is partnering with the National FFA to inspire interest in agriculture and apiculture professions among America’s youth. The new grant program will help FFA members develop their unique talents and explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers with a focus on finding solutions that will help honey bees thrive. “I have a real passion for the FFA …
BASF Highlights Compostable Polymers at CSS
BASF has a biodegradable solution for plastics with ecovio® and ecoflex® technology. Ruth Watts, product marketing manager for BASF’s Biopolymers Group in North America, was at last week’s ASTA CSS & Seed Expo demonstrating the use of this type of packaging for agricultural applications. “This (ecovio) is new technology by BASF,” Watts explained, adding that ecoflex was the very first …
ASTA Seed Foundation Update
First the Seed Foundation (FTSF) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 by the American Seed Trade Association with a focus on attracting bright young minds to the industry. “The seed industry is an exciting, dynamic, high tech industry,” said Foundation chairman Bud Hughes of Verdant Partners during an update at CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week. “We want …
African Seed Trade Learns from ASTA
It was AFSTA meets ASTA last week at the CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago. Denias Zaranyika is the Vice President of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and he attended last week’s event to see what he could bring home to his colleagues in the countries of Africa. “We want to exchange information and learn from Americans,” he …
Future Seed Executives at CSS & Seed Expo
Future Seed Executives (FuSE) had a week full of activities last week at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo, including some quality time with Bill Whitacre president and CEO of Simplot. FuSE Iniative is an official subcommittee of the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Management Skills Committee. Since its formal inception in 2004, FuSE has focused on educating and supporting …
Swine BioPortal Provides Flexibility to Data Evaluation
The collection of data is important when it comes to monitoring the PRRS virus. But what do you do with all those numbers once you have them? Dr. Enrique Mondaca, Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), hit on that during BIVI’s session at the North American PRRS Symposium last week in Chicago. The Swine BioPortal is an answer to how veterinarians and producers …