Taking on Activists in the Courtroom

Jamie Johansen May 14, 2013

Unfortunately, when dealing with the threat of activist groups it is hard to avoid the courtroom. During the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit we heard from those who have seen first hand the legal ramifications of activist tactics.

John Simpson, partner at Fulbright and Jaworski LLP, shared how he fought back for his client for 13 years and tips for those courtroom battles. John represented Feld Entertainment, who produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The team was victorious and ASPCA paid Feld Entertainment a $9.3 million settlement.

John doesn’t refer to these groups as activists, he says they are special interest groups with a radical agenda. He also stressed that they will attack you at the local, state and national levels. They will not only attempt to take action in the courtroom, they will attack the legislative, science and vet labs, in the media and your very own business.

Listen to or download my interview with John here: Interview with John Simpson

Listen to or download John’s complete presentation here: John Simpson - Presentation

Check out photos from the event: 2013 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit is sponsored by National Pork Producers Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Animal Activists, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Senate Farm Bill Markup Today

Cindy Zimmerman May 14, 2013

The Senate Agriculture Committee meets this morning to consider the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, their version of a “Farm Bill.” Yesterday, farm broadcasters meeting in Washington D.C. had the chance to interview a number of representatives from various agricultural and renewable fuels organizations and most of them had something to say about what the House and Senate have in their respective draft bills.

American Soybean Association director and farmer from Delaware Richard Wilkins said they are pleased to see that both bills allow some flexibility for growers. “They both contain provisions that allow the soybean grower to choose which type of “safety net” they feel works best for them,” he said.
Interview with Richard Wilkins, American Soybean Association

Chris Galen with the National Milk Producers Federation says both drafts contain the Dairy Security Act and he expects the Senate to pass this proposal which they support, but on the House side there is another proposal being offered which they oppose. “Basically it would turn farmers into takers of government welfare because it would not allow the marketplace to correct quick enough,” he said.
Interview with Chris Galen, National Milk Producers Federation

Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association says there is an energy title in the Senate draft. “And we hope to be able to have some funds in that to allow USDA to continue to make funding available for blender pumps and do some other things for future technologies,” he said.
Interview with Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association

Colin Woodall with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says as far as they are concerned, they would rather not be in the farm bill at all. “Our number one priority was to make sure there was not a livestock title in either bill, right now there’s not so we’re happy with that,” he said.
Interview with Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, Dairy, Farm Bill, NAFB, NCBA, RFA

Farm Bill Top Issue at NAFB Washington Watch

Cindy Zimmerman May 13, 2013

As both the House and Senate Agriculture committees are marking up their versions of a farm bill this week, that was the number one issue for farm broadcasters meeting in the nation’s capitol for their annual Washington Watch.

Mary Kay Thatcher with the American Farm Bureau Federation sees few major differences between the two committee drafts released last week. “If you look at all the titles, except commodities and nutrition, they’re fairly similar – there isn’t really a nickel’s worth of difference in conservation, research, rural development or specialty crops,” she said. Even the commodity titles she thinks are more similar this year than last, but there are differences in nutrition. “I still think the food stamp program is going to be the big ticket that’s going to hold us up in getting this thing done.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mary Kay here: Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF

Jon Doggett with the National Corn Growers Association says their top priority with the farm bill is risk management and crop insurance, which is why they joined with a number of other agriculture and environmental groups last week in hammering out a compromise to support tying conservation compliance and crop insurance but oppose means testing or payment limitations. “We worked out some common sense language that makes this a very workable program for growers that offers them plenty of opportunity that if they inadvertently get out of compliance they can quickly get back in,” he said. “In return, we have an assurance from the conservation community that they will be with us to protect the funding for crop insurance.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jon here: Interview with Jon Doggett, NCGA

The Senate farm bill mark up is scheduled for Tuesday and the House on Wednesday.
Link to Senate farm bill page.
Link to House farm bill draft.

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

AFBF, Audio, Farm Bill, NAFB, NCGA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes May 13, 2013

The Farm Journal Foundation’s Farmers Feeding the World initiative recently co-hosted an international agriculture and food security briefing with the Senate Hunger Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The Organic Trade Association has formally established a Farmers Advisory Council to provide input from small- to medium-sized organic farmers, ranchers and growers to the trade association on matters geared to advancing organic agriculture.
Zoetis announces the launch of its EQStable board on Pinterest, providing equine enthusiasts across the country with inspiration and an easy way to save favorite horse images and ideas.
National Livestock Credit is pleased to announce the purchase of Superior Livestock Auction, Inc.

Zimfo Bytes

Interview with NAFB Mike & Andy Show

Chuck Zimmerman May 13, 2013

This year’s coordinators of the NAFB Washington Watch program are Mike Hergert, Red River Farm Network (left) and Andy Vance, Feedstuffs. NAFB just held a business meeting for members and our event organizers gave us an overview of the program.

I got Mike & Andy outside the room after the meeting to talk about this year’s agenda which you can find here (pdf). We’re hoping to get some very fresh farm bill mark up information as it happens tomorrow and Wednesday. I also asked them about weather and crop conditions in their areas and it’s like you might expect. Up until now wet and cold but Mike says the temperatures in his area have heated up so we’ll hope for some good planting progress now!

Listen to my interview with the Mike & Andy Show here: Interview with Mike Hergert and Andy Vance

I have a photo album started: 2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Audio, NAFB

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Collin Peterson

Cindy Zimmerman May 13, 2013

With the Senate Agriculture Committee set to start writing a new farm bill on Tuesday and the House Agriculture Committee ready to follow a day later, Congressman Collin Peterson offers his views on how a new farm bill can hopefully get passed by both chambers this year. As the ranking Democrat, he talks about the compromises he’s worked out with Chairman Frank Lucas on a host of issues and with Speaker John Boehner regarding dairy policy. Peterson also expresses confidence about a compromise on nutrition spending – even though the level of cuts in the House Agriculture Committee’s draft bill are significantly higher than the Senate version.

Listen to the Agri-Pulse Open Mic interview with Peterson here.

Agri-Pulse

Supreme Court Rules for Monsanto

Cindy Zimmerman May 13, 2013

The Supreme Court today ruled unanimously to protect the intellectual property rights of Monsanto‘s genetically modified soybean seed.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Bowman v. Monsanto, a case regarding an Indiana farmer who planted saved Roundup Ready soybean seed, ruling that “patent exhaustion does not permit a farmer to reproduce patented seeds through planting and harvesting without the patent holder’s permission.”

“The Court’s ruling today ensures that longstanding principles of patent law apply to breakthrough 21st century technologies that are central to meeting the growing demands of our planet and its people,” said David F. Snively, Executive Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of Monsanto. “The ruling also provides assurance to all inventors throughout the public and private sectors that they can and should continue to invest in innovation that feeds people, improves lives, creates jobs, and allows America to keep its competitive edge.”

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy, a Mississippi soybean farmer, welcomed the ruling. “By ruling unanimously in favor of maintaining the integrity of intellectual property laws, the Supreme Court has ensured that America’s soybean farmers, of which Mr. Bowman is one, can continue to rely on the technological innovation that has pushed American agriculture to the forefront of the effort to feed a global population projected to pass 9 billion by 2050,” Murphy said in a statement. “Without the protection of intellectual property that the court reaffirmed today, the companies on whom my fellow soybean farmers and I rely would have no real incentive to make the investments necessary to develop new soybean varieties that yield more, resist disease, weeds, and pests, are drought tolerant, or have improved nutritional profiles.”

Agribusiness, Soybean

Syngenta Builds on Garst® Seed Legacy

Cindy Zimmerman May 13, 2013

Even as the Syngenta-owned Garst and Golden Harvest® brands are being launched under the revised Golden Harvest brand, Syngenta intends to uphold the quality, reliability and legacy that have become synonymous with the Garst brand and the Garst Seed Advisor.

“Roswell Garst’s commitment to customers – to be a trusted advisor in addition to a seed dealer – is the very essence of what the Syngenta Seed Advisor network embodies,” said Lori Thomas, customer marketing manager for the dealer channel commercial unit for Syngenta in North America. “Even though the Garst name won’t have the same market presence, the integrity, tradition and history of the company will continue to live on.” Thomas and her husband, Mike, were Garst Seed Advisors for 10 years.

Founded as Garst & Thomas Hi-Bred Corn Company in 1930, the Garst brand has a rich history of bringing many innovative corn solutions to market, from developing herbicide-tolerant hybrids, including the first IMI-corn, to offering European Corn Borer (Bt) control and herbicide tolerance together in one corn hybrid, to transcending borders and taking the new technology to farmers in other countries, including the former Soviet Union.

Since Syngenta acquired the Garst brand in 2004, the company has focused on building a diverse genetic portfolio, using the genetics from the Garst, Golden Harvest and NK® brand breeding programs and incorporating the market-leading line-up of Agrisure® traits. Earlier this year, Syngenta announced the decision to rebrand the existing Garst and Golden Harvest corn seed brands and launch a unified Golden Harvest brand stemmed from ongoing efforts to strengthen and grow the network of Syngenta Seed Advisors.

A new logo and numbering system for Golden Harvest hybrids will be in place for summer 2013 trials and the 2014 planting season. “The new logo brings elements from the Garst legacy as well as the Golden Harvest legacy,” Lori says, stressing that growers who have counted on Garst seed to maximize their yields will still have access to the same high-quality genetics under the Golden Harvest name through their Syngenta Seed Advisor.

Listen to or download my interview with Lori here: Interview with Lori Thomas

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Seed, Syngenta

NAFB Watching Washington

Chuck Zimmerman May 13, 2013

It’s time for National Association of Farm Broadcasting members to gather in Washington, DC for their annual Washington Watch program. It has been a few years since I’ve attended but thanks go out to GROWMARK for making it possible this year!

We’ll kick off activities this afternoon with the Issues Forum. It’s kind of like a mini Trade Talk with representatives of many different organizations attending and available for interviews. I’ll do as many as the time allows and be sharing them with you. The Issues Forum session is sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association. You can find a list of all sponsors here (pdf).

I’m going to miss the evening’s Press Club dinner with a representative of the World Wildlife Fund. Don’t think I’ll be missing much with that.

Tomorrow morning we meet up at USDA and will be speaking with a number of department heads including the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. It looks like Wednesday morning will be all about the Farm Bill as we hear from different members of the Senate and House where their versions of the new legislation are going through mark ups.

So that’s where in the world of agriculture I’ll be this week. See you from there.

GROWMARK, Media, NAFB

BASF to Produce Renewable BDO

Cindy Zimmerman May 13, 2013

BASF plans to begin production of 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO) using the patented process of California-based company Genomatica. The one-step fermentation process is based on sugars as a renewable feedstock.

BDO and its derivatives are widely used for producing plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers. The starting materials for the production of conventional BDO are natural gas, butane, butadiene and propylene. BASF currently produces conventional BDO at facilities around the world and the new agreement will now allow BASF to build a world-scale production facility that will use the Genomatica process to manufacture BDO based on renewable feedstock. Under the terms of the agreement, Genomatica will continue to advance its patented renewable BDO production process technology based on sugars while BASF will produce renewable BDO, which will be available in the second half of 2013 for sampling and trials.

“We chose the Genomatica process because we consider it to be exceptionally advanced and reliable,” said Sanjeev Gandhi, President of BASF Intermediates division, and added: “In line with our ‘We create chemistry’ strategy, we aim to offer renewable BDO and create additional value for our customers, in the plastics, textile and automotive industries.”