The Soil Health Institute (SHI) today unveiled the “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life” Soil Health Action Plan during a National Press Club event. “This is an exciting time to be working in soil health,” said SHI president and CEO Wayne Honeycutt. “The action plan identifies critical goals and priorities. It helps identify key gaps in our knowledge and implementation…and we’ve identified …
Nebraska Governor Praises Grain Trade with Mexico
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts asked grain industry officials from Mexico and the United States join him Tuesday for a press conference to highlight the importance of Mexico to U.S. agriculture and how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has benefited both countries. “Bilateral trade with Mexico has helped grow agriculture in our state over the years,” said Governor Ricketts. …
#Plant17 Makes Progress
Some dry days last week helped farmers make up for slow progress the week before as corn planting gained 11 points to almost be at the average for this time of year at 17 percent, according to the latest crop progress report out Monday. Illinois and Missouri jumped ahead last week in corn planting progress, planting over one quarter of …
SMART Farmer Nancy Kavazanjian
This is episode number six of the USFRA SMART Farmer podcast and this one is with Nancy Kavazanjian, who served as the second chairperson of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. Nancy farms with her husband Charlie Hammer in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on land that has been in his family for 150 years. She grew up on Long Island, made …
Wet Weather Delays Corn Planting
Many planters around the Corn Belt were sitting idle last week as wet weather continued to delay planting progress at the start of the season, much to the dismay of farmers anxious to get into the fields. The latest crop progress report from USDA this week shows corn planting progress at six percent falling behind last year at this time …
#Plant17 Progress Underway
#Plant17 is officially underway now with the latest crop progress report issued yesterday from USDA. Corn planting at three percent nationwide as of April 9 is a point behind last year at this time but exactly on target with five-year average. Texas, where National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Wesley Spurlock farms, is well ahead of both last year and …
More Beans and Cotton, Less Corn and Wheat
The first estimate for crop plantings this year by USDA is calling for less corn and wheat but more soybeans and cotton. The 2017 Prospective Plantings report based on farmer surveys estimates that corn planted area for all purposes in 2017 will be 90 million acres, down 4 percent or 4.0 million acres from last year. Soybeans planted area for …
Crappie Fishing and Ethanol
We went fishing for this edition of the ZimmCast and caught it on Grenada Lake, Mississippi at the Mississippi State Championship, one stop on the 2017 Crappie Masters All American Tournament Trail. The Renewable Fuels Association is a title sponsor of the tournament, along with Bass Pro Shops, and it has the support of Missouri Corn Growers and American Ethanol …
Farm Faster With FMC 3RIVE 3D
Rick Ekins, FMC, and I have talked about their 3RIVE 3D platform several times since it was introduced and Commodity Classic provided another opportunity. It’s a great time to talk about it too as planting season gets underway. So if you farmers want to farm faster FMC has this option for you. I think their quick facts sum it up …
Busy Week for Ag on the Hill
National Ag Week was a busy one for agriculture on Capitol Hill. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Kevin Skunes of North Dakota spent the week visiting Congressional offices on behalf of both the corn growers and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). “Ethanol is our number one priority,” said Skunes. “We need to have this outlet for …