Ag Leader offers a variety of SMS™ training sessions to help answer grower and dealer questions about the software.
Today, we caught up with Jessica Ahrens, Ag Leader training specialist, and asked her:
• What’s new this year?
• How do these training sessions set Ag Leader apart from other precision ag companies?
• Why is attending a training important each year?
• And most importantly, when do they start and how do growers and dealers get signed up?
Remember to visit sms.agleader.com for more information.
Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.
The 12th Annual Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit is a wrap. Each year staff and board members try to bring topics that are hot to the table for experts to share their insights into what the agriculture industry is facing. This year the theme was focused on animal activists and ways we can protect our animals, farms and food but not forget the importance of consumer confidence.
I caught Kay Johnson-Smith, President & CEO for the Animal Agriculture Alliance just after the last guest speaker finished up. She was glad to have another successful event in the books and excited to see how the information given to attendees will be put into action in the future.
Listen to or download my interview with Kay here: Interview with Kay Johnson-Smith
The Alliance also recently elected elected Paul Pressley, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, chairman of its board of directors. USPOULTRY has been an active member of the Alliance for 24 years, and Pressley will serve a two-year term as chairman. The Alliance’s board of directors consists of representatives from all major sectors of animal agriculture.
“I look forward to working with Kay and the Alliance staff. The Alliance has been a strong voice for all of animal agriculture for over 25 years. Now, more than ever, the ability to unite the industry across species lines is critical to responding to animal welfare issues,” remarked Pressley.
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
Key members of the U.S. agricultural value chain have joined together to applaud the work of the United States and like-minded governments to promote the importance of science-based regulations to facilitate trade of agricultural commodities derived from agricultural biotechnology.
In a joint statement, the United States was joined by the governments of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Paraguay to announce their intention to work collaboratively to remove global barriers to the trade of agricultural biotechnology and promote science-based, transparent and predictable regulatory approaches.
The U.S. agriculture sector agrees that a particular area of concern is the timeliness and efficiency of global regulatory systems. In the joint statement, the like-minded governments have highlighted their intention to promote synchronization of authorizations by regulatory authorities – in particular for food, feed and processing purposes.
Farmers seeking the flexibility of an early preemergence or postemergence herbicide application combined with residual control of resistant and tough-to-manage weeds in soybeans and cotton have a “go-to” solution: Warrant herbicide from Monsanto.
I talked with Monsanto Selective Chemistry Manager Tyler Hackstadt (HOCK-stet) about Warrant and how it might provide some advantages for growers facing planting delays this spring. “We’ve been recommending growers use multiple modes of action with residual herbicides as part of a comprehensive weed management system,” Hackstadt said. “When you’ve got a compressed planting window, the priority is to get the crop in the ground and sometimes we’re not able to get the pre-emerge residual herbicide applied in a timely fashion.” The pre- and post- application flexibility of Warrant allows growers to still get residual control.
Listen to or download my interview with Tyler here: Monsanto Selective Chemistry Manager Tyler Hackstadt
Warrant herbicide provides up to 30 days of residual control of waterhemp, lambsquarters, nightshade, Palmer pigweed, foxtails and other small-seeded grasses and broadleaf weeds. The herbicide’s wide application window includes preplant, at-planting, preemergence or postemergence – up to R2 growth stage in soybeans and first flower in cotton. The encapsulated, acetochlor-based technology of Warrant herbicide also provides increased crop safety for soybeans and cotton.
Compatibility with many tank mix partners, such as Roundup® agricultural herbicide, further complements the Warrant herbicide ease of use for farmers seeking to implement diversified weed management practices (DWMPs) that include residual and postemergence herbicides.
Warrant can be a key component of an effective weed management strategy that includes burndown, residual and postemergence herbicides, plus it qualifies for Roundup Ready PLUS® Weed Management Solutions incentives up to $2.50 per acre in soybeans and $4.50 per acre in cotton.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.
“The challenges are complex and there is no smoking gun,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, Administrator of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “It is imperative that we take action to address the factors contributing to the decline in honey bees and the continuing impact that our farmers and honeybee producers are facing as well.”
“It’s a critical issue that affects virtually every American,” said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “The report we’ve released today is the product of unprecedented collaboration, and our work in concert must continue. As the report makes clear, we’ve made significant progress, but there is still much work to be done to protect the honey bee population.”
When it comes to the issue of pesticide exposure, the report says that more research is needed. Other countries are moving to ban the neonicotinoids class of insecticides over fears that they are the cause of the honey bee decline. Asked why the United States doesn’t just ban the pesticide, “We let science drive the outcome of our decision-making,” said Jim Jones with the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “There are non-trivial costs to society if we get this wrong. These are products that not only provide meaningful benefits to the farmers who use them, but they then generate benefits to consumers as well for affordable in the United States and they also are compounds that, as a general matter for human health and the environment, are preferable to the alternative.”
A press conference featuring government officials and stakeholders in the honey bee industry was held to explain the report’s findings. In addition to Ramaswamy and Perciasepe, those on the call included:
Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Zac Browning, Beekeeper
Steve Bradbury, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Dr. Jeffery Pettis, Bee Research Lead, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Longtime soybean industry executive Jim Palmer has been named chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). Palmer was selected by the NAWG Board of Directors after a search process led by the NAWG officers and grower-leaders of the National Wheat Foundation, NAWG’s affiliated charitable organization.
He will officially begin work with the Association and Foundation as of June 1, though he plans to meet with NAWG’s grower-leaders and staff throughout the month of May.
Palmer has worked in administrative roles for national and state agriculture organizations for the past 30 years, most of that time in the soybean industry. From 1997 until early 2012, he worked as the executive director for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Earlier in his career, he was engaged in commercial agriculture credit and was the staff lead during the development of the United Soybean Board, the national soybean checkoff. Since leaving Minnesota Soybean, he has worked as an independent management and development consultant with agriculture companies around the United States.
Three years ago when we moved from Denver back to my rural hometown in Nebraska, I had driven to town to go to the bank and on my way out, noticed that the clock read 5:00 p.m. I immediately thought, “Oh no, leaving town right during rush hour.”
Then I laughed out loud. Rush hour in a town of 3,500 people with two stoplights…the worst that could happen is I get stuck behind a slow-moving tractor.
That instantly triggered another memory from my childhood: Each time we’d be driving down the highway and find ourselves following a piece of farm machinery, whether it be a tractor or combine, us kids would complain and say, “Aw, dad, go around him! He’s going SOOOO slow!”
Can’t you just hear the whining from the back seat?
My dad’s usual response? “Don’t complain about farmers. They paid for these roads.”
I didn’t know how true that statement actually was until I heard my grandpa tell the story about mud roads and how farmers were responsible for maintaining them.
Listen to Grandpa explainSo the next time you get stuck behind a farmer on the highway, just relax and take the opportunity to just drive a bit slower for a while and take in the scenery. And give a thank-you wave as you go around him so he knows you appreciate the roads you’re driving on!
Until we walk again …
Our friends at Farm Foundation, a group that has work in agriculture, food systems and rural communities, has tapped Tim Brennan as their new Director of Development.
“We are excited to welcome Tim to the Foundation staff,” says Jay Armstrong of Armstrong Farms, Muscotah, KS, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
“This is a dynamic time for the Foundation as demand for our high-quality, objective program work continues to grow. Tim’s expertise in fundraising will be crucial to the Foundation’s ability to expand the depth and reach of that programming.”
“The Foundation is uniquely positioned to help public and private decision makers understand evolving issues and demands that are shaping the future of the industry,” says Neil Conklin, President of Farm Foundation, NFP. “Tim will formalize a fundraising strategy and bring valuable experience to strengthen and broaden relationships in the Foundation’s networks.”
Brennan has 20 years in fundraising, most of that in higher education. He was the Associate Director of Alumni Relations for the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, now the Booth School of Business and the Director of Alumni Relations and Marketing for Northwestern University’s School of Law, as well as the University of Chicago’s Executive Director of the Chicago Society and Director of Development at the Law School and the Senior Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations at the University.
This morning kicked off the 12th Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit here in Washington, D.C. or more specifically Arlington, Virginia. This year’s topic of discussion was on “Activist at the Door: Protecting Animals, Farms, Food & Consumer Confidence.” The Animal Ag Alliance is focused on connecting, educating & protecting and that is exactly what this conference is all about.
Today we have heard from all aspects of the agriculture community as well as a few outsiders who gave us a perspective we needed to hear. Tomorrow’s panel will continue with the same dialogue focused on animal welfare within the agriculture industry.
If you were unable to attend the event you can follow the #AAA13 on Twitter or view the live coverage here, provided by Alltech.
Soon I will have audio interviews uploaded and ready to listen to, but until then here are some 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