Animal Ag News 3/6

Carrie Muehling

  • Legislation introduced in the House and Senate represents nothing more than another attempt to allow activists to dictate to producers, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Sens. Booker and Warren have long been supported by animal rights groups, and this collective group of bill sponsors has worked long and hard to dismantle our industry’s only self-funded promotion and education effort. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), and their partners Sens. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the Senate bill. Reps. Nancy Mace, (R-S.C.), and Dina Titus, (D-Nev.) introduced the House bill.
  • NCBA announced the hiring of Rebecca Barnett as Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Policy in our Washington, D.C. office. Rebecca will be working on issues such as traceability, Dietary Guidelines, animal welfare, and food safety.
  • The Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) will hold a reception and awards ceremony on April 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual Spring Legislative Conference. The evening will feature the announcement of the 2022 ESAP national winner from the group of seven regional winners that were recognized during the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans in February.
  • The 2023 World Pork Expo will return to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 7-9. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the annual event focusing on education, innovation and networking within the pork industry.
  • Leaders of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association recently announced election results to lead national dairy checkoff strategies and programs to protect and grow dairy sales and trust. Marilyn Hershey, a farmer from Cochranville, Pa., was re-elected chair of DMI.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will award five $2,000 secondary education scholarships to its membership, the cooperative announced. Two scholarships will be awarded to students currently enrolled in college or university or a two-year technical, junior or community college. Three scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors. The full application and guidelines can be found on the Edge website.
  • Wisconsin again wins more awards than any other state or country during the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. Wisconsin cheesemakers secure almost half of the 20 finalist honors, including first and second runner-up. Red Barn Family Farms from Appleton, Wisconsin, was named second-best cheese in the country.
  • Just in time for National FFA Week, Zoetis formally announced the 2022 results of the Zoetis Industry Support Program. More than $371,930 was donated to FFA chapters nationwide with about 36,500 students benefiting from the contributions. Veterinarians and animal health dealers and distributors make the Industry Support Program possible each year by designating a portion of sales from eligible Zoetis Cattle and Equine products to their local FFA chapters.
  • Registration is now open with early savings available for the 2023 Chicken Marketing Summit. The annual executive conference, hosted by WATT Global Media, is scheduled for July 31 – August 2, 2023, at Hotel Effie Sandestin in Miramar Beach, Florida.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Iowa Governor Receives RFA Industry Award

Cindy Zimmerman

A well-deserved award was presented during the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando by the Renewable Fuels Association last week to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for her untiring efforts on behalf of the entire ethanol industry. The award was presented the day after a major victory for the governor in the proposed rule from EPA that will allow her state and seven others to sell E15 ethanol fuel year-round starting in 2024.

Reynolds said she was thrilled that the EPA has approved the multi-state bipartisan RVP waiver request that will pave the way for year-round E15 and bring certainty to the industry, but the delay in implementation is unacceptable.

“This arbitrary deadline is unacceptable and disappointing, but hardly surprising and we won’t accept it without a fight. I’m requesting another emergency waiver to this year while at the same time asking the courts to require the Administration to grant our request immediately. I’ve also requested a meeting with President Biden to discuss the critical timeliness of the waiver.” she said.

Listen to the Governor’s remarks and press availability below:
RFANEC23 Gov. Kim Reynolds award (11:32)

RFANEC23 Gov. Reynolds press (19:42)

Click here for more audio and photos from the National Ethanol Conference.

2023 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Industry Ag News 3/3

Carrie Muehling

  • Don’t miss this opportunity to enter the IFAJ Star Prize Contest. The deadline is NOW March 10, 2023. Click here for rules and online entry forms: https://www.ifaj.org/contests-and-awards/.
  • The community is invited to enjoy an afternoon of beautiful music on Sunday, March 5, as talented vocalists from across the U.S. and beyond compete in the 18th annual Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition. This one-of-a-kind event awards more than $700,000 in scholarships and prizes and provides an opportunity to attend the University of Kentucky as part of the UK Opera Theatre program. The competition begins at 2 p.m. at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association announced that Sumitomo Corporation of Americas has joined the RFA as its newest member company.
  • Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), will host a Farm Bill listening session in Waco, Texas on Wednesday, March 15 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM CDT. Mr. Thompson will be joined by Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17), along with bipartisan Members of the House Committee on Agriculture. Click here to tune into the live stream on the day of the event.
  • GROWMARK, Inc. announced its endure Sustainability Initiative is expanding beyond investing in and promoting effective environment measures, to now also encompass bolstering meaningful social interactions and sound governance.
  • Register now for the 2023 Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit. Hear from industry experts as they discuss “Next-gen farm and food policy” on March 20. The summit offers both in-person and virtual attendance options. Be a part of the conversation and register here: https://www.Agri-Pulse.com/2023-DC-Summit.
  • Undergraduate college students pursuing agricultural communications careers should apply now for up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN, formerly the American Agricultural Editors Association – AAEA). Two scholarships will be awarded in 2023 to outstanding members of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) for their achievements in leadership, career-related experiences, academics and service. Students who do not have active ACT chapters at their colleges or universities may join the National ACT at any time by paying the $17 membership dues. The 2023 ACN Scholarship Application Form and 2023 ACN Scholarship Reference Form are available online at www.agcommnetwork.com/scholarships.
  • Despite challenges from diseases, land development trends and extreme weather, Florida’s citrus industry contributed $6.935 billion to the state’s economy in 2020-21. A just-released report from University of Florida economists, “2020-2021 Economic Contributions of the Florida Citrus Industry,” estimated the economic contributions for the most recent citrus marketing season for which data are available.
  • The National Cotton Council directors for 2023 were announced at the NCC’s recent 2023 annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
  • The U.S. should increase support for agricultural research and development in the next Farm Bill to ensure that farmers can keep feeding the world in spite of challenges from climate change and other shocks, according to a report produced jointly by Farm Journal Foundation and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
  • March is National Peanut Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s favorite foods! The Georgia peanut industry kicked off the celebration this week by hosting the 2023 Georgia PB&J Day in Atlanta, Georgia. During the event, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Peanut Proud donated 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
  • National Farmers Union will host the organization’s 121st Anniversary Convention in San Francisco, California from March 5th through March 7th.
  • The Propane Education & Research Council supports the safe use of propane on the farm with new one-page safety guides covering a variety of topics related to the safe use of propane and propane-powered equipment. All six safety guides can be accessed and downloaded for free at Propane.com.
Zimfo Bytes

DWFI Podcast 22 – Dave Aiken – Water Law and the Perkins County Canal

Chuck Zimmerman

Dave Aiken is a DWFI faculty fellow and a professor of agricultural economics at UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His research areas include water law and policy, energy law, environmental law and global warming. In this episode, DWFI Communications Specialist Arianna Elnes talks to Dave about water law, water legal histories, the South Platte River Compact, and context around the legislation to build the Perkins County Canal in Nebraska.

As background, the South Platte River Compact was drawn in 1922 between Nebraska and Colorado. Nebraska has limited rights to the river, which flows north through Denver, across Eastern Colorado, and into Nebraska. The compact allocated 500 cubic feet per second of the South Platte River to Nebraska through a “future” Perkins County Canal. However, the canal was never finished. Now, nearly one hundred years later, Nebraska’s governor has requested legislation to build it.

Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI Podcast 22 - Dave Aiken, DWFI 24:46

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

How to subscribe:

Audio, Podcasts, Water for Food

SIMPAS-applied Solutions™ Adds MicroSync Pro® MINI

Cindy Zimmerman

AMVAC® recently expanded the SIMPAS-applied Solutions™ portfolio with the addition of MicroSync Pro™ MINI.

SIMPAS-applied Solutions (SaS™) are products that are prescriptively applied with patented SmartCartridge® container technology through the SIMPAS® application system to address unique agronomic needs. Multiple SaS products, such as insecticides, N-fixing solutions, nematicides, and nutrients, are delivered simultaneously, in-furrow, during planting.

MicroSync Pro MINI is a combination nutrient formulation that improves soil fertility programs by providing a precise balance of critical nutrients formulated to prevent or correct deficiencies of boron, manganese, sulfur, and/or zinc.

This uniform granular fertilizer is activated by soil moisture, creating millions of particles within the root zone to enhance nutrient conversion and allow uptake, so the crop starts strong.

Read more

AgWired Precision, AMVAC, Precision Agriculture

Precision Ag News 3/1

Carrie Muehling

  • AMVAC recently expanded the SIMPAS-applied Solutions portfolio with the addition of MicroSync Pro MINI. SIMPAS-applied Solutions (SaS) are products that are prescriptively applied with patented SmartCartridge container technology through the SIMPAS application system to address unique agronomic needs. Multiple SaS products, such as insecticides, N-fixing solutions, nematicides, and nutrients, are delivered simultaneously, in-furrow, during planting.
  • Heading to Commodity Classic? Don’t miss the GO Seed Climate Smart Hub (Booth 2188) featuring a variety of interactive sessions delving into the latest climate mitigation technologies, the future of carbon markets, and innovations in cover crops. GO Seed will be joined by representatives from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) offering information on the 2023 SARE-CTIC-ASTA Cover Crop Survey, cover crop educational resources and the latest sustainability trends.
  • In one giant leap for mankind, AgriTech innovator GreenField Inc onboards top tech staff and advisors from industry disruptors SpaceX and Proterra as the Robots-as-a-Service scales to meet the increasing, consumer-driven demand for chemical-free foods.
  • Sentera announced the launch of its agronomic modeling solutions platform, FieldInsights Ag Modeling, to deliver predictive tools to customers seeking deeper insight into crop performance.
  • Indigo Ag announced the completion of its second carbon crop, consisting of more than 110,000 agricultural carbon credits. Issued by one of the world’s most trusted carbon registries, the Climate Action Reserve, Indigo’s second crop of credits was produced by U.S. farmers enrolled in its industry-leading carbon farming program, Carbon by Indigo.
  • From a changing climate and drought to regulation and increasing expectations for sustainability efforts, the development and adoption of technologies to use water more efficiently and effectively is paramount. The Water, Technology and Sustainability Report from Global Ag Tech Initiative dives deep into topics such as the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, technologies to address drought, digital modeling for weather, and worldwide market views from companies on the front lines.
  • Case IH is adding two models to the lineup of Vestrum series tractors — Vestrum 110 and Vestrum 120 — plus upgrading the Vestrum 100 and Vestrum 130 models. The Vestrum 110 tractor will reach up to 88 PTO horsepower, while the new Vestrum 120 tractor will achieve up to 102 PTO horsepower.
  • Digital agriculture may be an important part of the solution to challenges facing U.S. agriculture, including rising production costs, climate change, and labor shortages, among others. A new report issued by USDA’s Economic Research Service, Precision Agriculture in the Digital Era: Recent Adoption on U.S. Farms, documents trends in the U.S. farm sector’s adoption of digital agriculture technologies between 1996 and 2019, with emphasis on changes since 2016, using data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey.
  • ZeaKal announced the appointment of Jay Brumfield as its Board of Directors Chairman and Hank Plain as Board Member. The appointments further validate the market potential of ZeaKal’s novel PhotoSeed trait technology and the broad impact of its ‘NewType’ business model to transform agriculture.
  • Phospholutions is kicking off commercialization of RhizoSorb at Commodity Classic. With more than 200 trial locations across 14 states over the last 3 years, RhizoSorb has been shown to improve phosphorous efficiency by up to 50 percent, resulting in a 10-15 percent cost saving for farmers on their phosphate applications.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

RFA CEO Gives State of Ethanol Industry Address

Chuck Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper delivered his annual “State of the Industry” address at the National Ethanol Conference today in Orlando.

“When faced with challenges, roadblocks, and failure, we don’t give up,” Cooper said. “We continue to innovate. We think outside of the box. We find workarounds. We eliminate the ways that won’t work…and find the way that will work.”

Cooper cited several policy and marketplace successes last year—such as passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, strong RFS volumes for 2022, a growth-oriented RFS proposal for 2023-2025, and greater interest in sustainable aviation fuel—as building momentum toward an even better 2023. He noted that the unanimous net-zero-carbon commitment of the association’s members is leading to a “renaissance moment” for ethanol, including unprecedented interest and innovation in green chemicals, sustainable aviation fuel, and other non-traditional uses.

“We have momentum on our side after some major victories in 2022,” Cooper said. “Now, we need to keep it going. As we continue positioning ethanol for long-term success and growth, we need to be persistent in telling our story to policymakers, regulators, the media, industry stakeholders, and the general public. We can’t let others define us. We define our future—not oil refiners in Delaware; not environmental extremists; not ivory tower academics; not loud-mouthed cable TV talk show hosts.”

Much work needs to be done, Cooper said, including a permanent fix allowing year-round nationwide E15, a recommitment to E85 and flex fuel vehicles, restoring fair trade in major global markets, securing the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the development of future policies like a national clean fuel standard or the Next Generation Fuels Act.

Click to read Cooper’s state of the industry remarks, listen below.

RFANEC 23 State of the Industry Address Geoff Cooper, RFA (33:17)

Virtual Ag Newsroom for the National Ethanol Conference

Audio, Energy, Ethanol, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Animal Ag News 2/27

Carrie Muehling

  • In response to FDA guidance on plant-based beverages, which guides manufacturers of plant-based beverages to disclose their nutrient inferiority and acknowledges the public health concern of nutritional confusion over such beverages, the National Milk Producers Federation, which has led the fight for labeling transparency, released a statement from President and CEO Jim Mulhern.
  • Wisconsin again wins more awards than any other state or country during the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. Wisconsin cheesemakers secure almost half of the 20 finalist honors, including first and second runner-up. Red Barn Family Farms from Appleton, Wisconsin, was named second-best cheese in the country.
  • During its annual National Sales Meeting, Zoetis and Folds of Honor celebrated a successful first year with a $218,000 donation from Zoetis based upon fourth quarter 2022 sales of select Zoetis products. This brings the total donation from Zoetis to $705,000 for Folds of Honor based on sales of select Zoetis products in 2022.
  • The Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC) welcomes Erica Graessle-Loethen as its Manager of Communications and Marketing. Raised on a commercial cattle operation in central Missouri (and a current cow/calf producer herself), she is equipped with “boots on the ground” experience and shares in a deep passion to advocate on behalf of Missouri’s beef industry.
  • Ralco announced the launch of Nutri-Graze, a pasture product that helps beef producers reduce off-farm feed costs by increasing their forage production.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services Episode 26

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (KAS) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

Nutrient Access is an Important Key to Maximizing Yield Potential

In this episode, we welcome our new Field Notes moderator, Ken Root, as he talks with KAS technical agronomist, Matt Fryer, about nutrient access and the many variables that can affect nutrient availability at critical times in a crop’s life. Matt also discusses the KAS solutions growers can utilize to ensure nutrient access and increase maximum yield potential.

You can listen to the program here: Nutrient Access is an Important Key to Maximizing Yield Potential (24:02)

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app

Agribusiness, Agronomy, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Soil

Industry Ag News 2/24

Carrie Muehling

  • The American agricultural sector posted its best export year ever in 2022 with international sales of U.S. farm and food products reaching $196 billion, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced. Final 2022 trade data released earlier this week by the Commerce Department shows that U.S. agricultural exports increased 11 percent, or $19.5 billion, from the previous record set in 2021.
  • Registration is now open for the IFAJ 2023 Congress in Canada — New Frontiers in the West, hosted by the Canadian Farm Writers Federation. To kick off the start of registration, the 2023 IFAJ planning committee is pleased to offer a welcome week savings of $300 CAD off the base price of $1,323 CAD until March 1, at 11:59 p.m. MST. For one week, members can use the promo code, EAGERBEAVER, to receive the discounted price. After that, stay tuned for an early bird pricing special.
  • At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 2023 Winter Policy Conference, NASDA CEO Ted McKinney announced the organization is welcoming eight new members since the 2022 midterm elections. Two states elected new commissioners of agriculture, and governors in six states have announced the appointment of new NASDA members.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association announced that BIOFerm and RCM Thermal Kinetics have joined the organization as its newest associate members.
  • For its 56th year, World Ag Expo hosted exhibitors, attendees, and media from around the world in record numbers. This year’s show marked a 10-year high in show attendance with 108,233 people on the grounds over the three-day run. The event ended on Thursday, February 16, and reported 1,225 exhibitors on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. Attendees represented 49 states, the District of Columbia, and 56 countries.
  • Annie’s Project, a national non-profit to educate and empower women in agriculture, is celebrating 20 years since its founding. The program has over 19,000 graduates across 38 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • The Illinois Agri-Women (IAW) organization is offering 4 scholarships for females studying
    agriculture. One $1,500 IAW Helen Henert Agriculture Education Scholarship will be offered to a student who is an agriculture education major who will be finishing their undergraduate degree in the next year. Three $1,000 WCFA Agent of Change Scholarships are offered to students who have attended at least one Women Changing the Face of Agriculture Conference. Eligible applicants include past WCFA attendees and students who participated in the 2021 WCFA Online Curriculum. One scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior, one will be awarded to a current college student, and one scholarship will be awarded to a current graduate student.
  • The Minore Scholarship Committee of the National Wheat Foundation selected two recipients to receive a $2,500 scholarship each. Christopher Barron is a Texas A&M student pursuing a Plant and Environmental Soil Science degree. Chris intends to pursue a career in plant breeding and is interested in drought-tolerant crops with improved nutrition. Ella Martin is a Kansas State University student pursuing a degree in Bakery Science and Management, Food Science-Industry. Ella is passionate about educating consumers about wheat and agriculture.
  • The National Cotton Council’s 2023 Economic Outlook sees world consumption rebounding but economic pressure remaining.
  • The National Cotton Council’s annual planting intentions survey suggests U.S. producers will plant 11.4 million cotton acres in 2023.
  • The National Cotton Council announced it will be led in 2023 by Shawn Holladay, a Lubbock producer who will serve as chairman of U.S. cotton’s central organization.
  • The Journal of Agromedicine has named Brian Kuhl, president and chief executive officer of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF), as its 2023 “Leader in the Field,” for his contributions to agricultural safety and health practice, policy and research.
Zimfo Bytes