A new non-profit organization, Growing Global Solutions, has been formed to help agricultural organizations improve their efficiency. Industry veterans Janice Dahl and Jim Butler have founded the organization together with the goal of working with top-tier organizations that want to evaluate progress and reach peak efficiency. With expertise specifically in agriculture, the pair decided the industry would benefit from an …
GROWMARK Announces Essay Contest Winners
GROWMARK is pleased to announce the Illinois and Wisconsin state winners of the 2016 essay contest for FFA members. Austin Schorfheide of Hoyleton, Illinois and Jessica Jurcek from Jefferson, Wisconsin won in their respective states by answering “What can young people do to ensure the sustainability of agriculture?” Schorfheide wrote in his response: “Sustainability in agriculture ultimately comes down to …
Illinois HerbFest Celebrates Earth Day
The Illinois Herb Association will celebrate this month’s Earth Day festivities during the 2016 HerbFest. The event will be held April 16 in Chillicothe, Illinois, at Chillicothe Public Library. “The annual HerbFest was previously held in June and September, but this year will be moving to April in order to celebrate Earth Day and build nature into the program,” said …
New Insights On Colony Collapse Disorder
Researchers from Arizona State University’s (ASU) School of Life Sciences recently discovered that the commonly accepted claim that blames nutritional deprivation for the increasing collapse of honey bee colonies is incorrect. The two studies published by ASU researchers found that the stress of short-term nutritional deprivation as larvae actually makes honey bees more resilient to starvation as adults. The findings …
NCGA Strategic Plan Focuses on a Sustainable Future
The recent Commodity Classic in New Orleans was the site of the National Corn Growers Association finalization of a new strategic plan to create a vision of sustainably feeding and fueling the world’s growing population. The plan addresses four major concerns heard throughout the agriculture industry: increase the demand, strengthen customer and consumer trust, enhance productivity and environmental sustainability, and striving …
Former USDA Deputy Joins DuPont
The mystery about why Krysta Harden resigned as USDA Deputy Secretary was revealed last week as Commodity Classic was getting underway in New Orleans. Harden has joined DuPont as vice president of Public Policy & Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), succeeding Linda Fisher who elected to retire last month. Harden will have responsibility for leading the company’s public policy and government …
Two Missouri Counties Deemed Agri-Ready
Missouri Farmers Care recently announced that Audrain and Carroll have become the first counties in Missouri to receive the program’s new
Pollinators Part of @GROWMARK Endure Program
Protecting pollinators is part of the GROWMARK sustainability initiative called ENDURE. “Sustainability is a very hot topic in the world today,” said GROWMARK Director of Strategic Agronomy Marketing Lance Ruppert. “As a company we’re trying to look at our internal actions to be sustainable as a system and get that message out.” Because pollinator health is so critical, Ruppert says …
Sustainability Expert Defends Big Business
Terms like local, organic, natural and sustainable dominate the marketplace, but what does it all mean? One of the most tangible examples of sustainability is the use of drastically fewer resources over time, something many areas of agriculture, especially the dairy industry, can say is true of their production methods. Regardless of this fact, many large-scale production operations face a …
USDA Pledges $9M Towards Wetlands
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the establishment of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Mitigation Banking Program, made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The program will provide $9 million to help states, local governments or other qualified partners develop wetland mitigation banks that restore, create, or enhance wetland ecosystems, broadening the conservation options available to farmers and …