Welcome to 2013 Commodity Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcome to 2013 Commodity ClassicWelcome to the 2013 Commodity Classic. The ZimmComm Team is here. Actually, Cindy is off on an adventure with our sponsor, BASF, while I got things started here in the Commodity Classic Media Room. Jamie Johansen will be joining us late this evening.

So expect lots of stories from the trade show, the general sessions, participating organizations, press conferences. We’ll have a lot to share in coming days.

For now, I do have the very start of a photo album. You can count on finding a lot more in it by the end of Classic: 2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Ag Groups, Commodity Classic

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of ten members to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.
  • Monsanto Company has announced that six recipients will be awarded research grants as part of the Corn Rootworm Knowledge Research Program.
  • Elanco announces the availability of FeedLINK, a web-based tool from GlobalVetLINK that makes it quicker and easier for a veterinarian to issue a Veterinary Feed Directive for use with Pulmotil.
  • Despite heavy snow across the region, over 3,300 people attended the 2013 MOSES Organic Farming Conference Feb. 21-23 in La Crosse, Wis.
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Bayer CropScience Announces Balance GT Soybeans

Chuck Zimmerman

Eric Peters Bayer CropScience Balance GTWe recently knew it as FG72 Soybeans. Now it is Balance GT Soybeans! Bayer CropScience and MS Technologies announced the new soybean performance system during the annual Ag Issues Forum here in Kissimmee.

To learn more about it I got perspectives and information from both sides by visiting with Lauren August, MS Technologies Brand Manager, and Eric Peters, Soybean Herbicide Product Manager, seen doing an interview here in the poster session. Lauren says you’ll be able to learn a lot more about Balance GT Soybeans on their new website. MS Technologies is responsible for the soybean trait side of the collaboration. The product is a dual herbicide tolerant trait stack featuring tolerance to both glyphosate and isoxaflutole. Bayer CropScience and MS Technologies intend to broadly license Balance GT soybeans. Balance GT soybeans will be available in high-yielding genetics in many maturity groups in the US in 2015, pending regulatory approvals.

Balance GT SoybeansEric says that this will give growers an option to rotate chemistries with excellent residual for both grass and broad leaf weeds.

When growing Balance GT soybeans, growers will have the flexibility to use both glyphosate and isoxaflutole during burndown, pre- or post-emergence to achieve broad spectrum weed control of both grasses and broadleaf weeds. Rotating crops, herbicide modes of action and herbicide tolerant traits are good stewardship practices, and three of the best ways growers can achieve effective weed resistance management.

You can listen to my interview with Lauren and Eric here: Interview on new Balance GT Soybean

2013 Bayer CropScience Ag issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Seed, Soybean

Bayer Ag Issues Forum Sustainability Discussion

Chuck Zimmerman

Rob Kaplan and Rick TolmanSustainability. What does it mean to you? There is no real good definition. I like what Frank Sesno, moderator for the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum (pictured on left), said during his introduction of a session on day one, “I think if I had my druthers I’d ban it altogether because it’s such a catch all.” That it is!

The session is titled, “Connecting the Dots: The Business Case for Safe, Affordable and Sustainable Supply Chains.” Panel participants included Rob Kaplan, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Walmart Stores (center) and Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association.

This was a great conversation with a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas presented. I liked one exchange started by Rick Tolman who made a point that what’s important to him is what people use the term “not to mean,” He says, “In general society it tends to be an exclusionary term.” Then Rob Kaplan said, “Sustainability is really a journey not a destination.”

There’s a lot more to enjoy so you can listen to or download the conversation here: Bayer Ag Issues Forum Sustainability Session

2013 Bayer CropScience Ag issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Sustainability

8th Annual Bayer Ag Issues Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

Bayer CropScience Ag Issues ForumAfter surviving an evening of entertainment with Jerrod Niemann (photos in album) the agricultural journalists gathered here in Kissimmee for the 8th annual Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum are up and at ’em for round two.

I spoke with Beth Roden, Bayer CropScience Director of Communications, to find out about the history of the event and how it is going. Beth says that the Ag Issues Forum was started “as a way to connect with agricultural based media and dialogue around topics that are impacting the industry.” It’s an invitation only ag media event at which Bayer brings in thought leaders in the industry as well as within Bayer itself. Beth says the post event surveys have shown that the ag media participating not only enjoy the forum but really find useful, relevant, information to use in their publications and broadcasts.

You can listen to my interview with Beth here: Interview on new Beth Roden

2013 Bayer CropScience Ag issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer

New Holland Adds to Legacy with BigBalers

John Davis

nfms-13-nh-balerThey’ve been known for a long time for their baling products, and at the recent National Farm Machinery Show, our friends from New Holland really showed their legacy with two new models, the BigBaler 330 and 340, producing 3’x3′ or 3’x4′ large square bales.

“You’ll see a new styling, a new appearance,” all designed to have better serviceability, said New Holland’s Mike Cornman. But the biggest improvements are the increases in capacity. “We’ve seen a 20 percent increase in capacity versus our prior series, mostly coming from the improvements made in the pickup to the baler,” while also increasing the density of the bales by 5 percent, making the producer more efficient.

Mike added the BigBaler 330 and 340 are best matched with New Holland’s T7 and T8 series tractors.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Cornman

2013 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Agribusiness, Audio, Hay, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland, NFMS

Authority Treatments in One Area Could Help Others

John Davis

nfms-13-fmc-wootenTaking the initiative with a good pretreatment herbicide doesn’t just pay benefits for the original producer, but it could also stop the spread of weeds to other regions of the country. Bob Hooten with FMC explained during the recent National Farm Machinery Show that their Authority product could have helped stop the spread of Palmer amaranth, a plant that kicks out millions of seeds.

“So it only takes one plant to cover up to cover up your whole acres. Folks in the South have a major problem already, and it’s spreading north. Folks in the North can ignore it and then wait until they have a major problem, but we’re now spending $20-25 an acre to try to control this pest,” Bob said.

He added that FMC has a variety of Authority products, depending on your location, tillage amounts, and weed resistance problems. It’s part of a good management program that can be custom-tuned to an individual farm’s needs. “One peg doesn’t always fit the same hole, so we are building things as the customer needs them.”

More information about the full Authority line of products is available here.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Bob here: Interview with Bob Hooten

2013 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Agribusiness, Audio, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

Taking a Look Back at Agriculture From the Future

Chuck Zimmerman

RIch Kottmeyer AccentureLet’s pretend we’re in the future as in 2025 or 2050 and take a look back at agricultural production. Let’s do it with Rich Kottmeyer, Senior Executive and Global Agriculture & Food Production Leader, Accenture. That’s what we watched Rich do on stage during the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum and that’s what I asked him to do when we had time to visit afterward.

Rich says, “I think the number one thing we’re going to look at is how we empowered the small holder farmer, how we allowed them to get advice and how we’re able to do that through their mobile phone through digital technology.” Referring to data he says that more important than data are analytics. That data will be simple. He says “big data needs to lead to small insights.”

You can listen to my interview with Rich to get more insights from the future here: Interview with Rich Kottmeyer

2013 Bayer CropScience Ag issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Technology

Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

Bayer CropScience Ag Issues ForumAlthough I still have a couple of interviews to share from The Annual Meat Conference I have moved on down the agriblogging highway to Kissimmee, FL for the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum. Here are some of our ag journalists attending this annual pre-Commodity Classic program.

We will be hearing from the leadership of Bayer who are talking about how they’re working to achieve sustainable success in agriculture as well as some good friends like Michele Payn-Knoper who will be talking about engaging farm and food to meet in the middle. Of course there will be time to conduct interviews which I’ll be sharing as soon as I can.

In the meantime I have started a photo album for you here: 2013 Bayer CropScience Ag issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Bayer

See Propane-Fueled Technology at Classic

Cindy Zimmerman

If you are heading to Commodity Classic this week, be sure to stop by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) booth to see what is new for the farm from propane.

propane-farmPERC will display new propane-fueled engines for irrigation and register producers for more than $4,000 in propane equipment incentives through the Propane Farm Incentive Program. Producers visiting PERC at booth 938 during the trade show can also participate in PERC’s “Land the Grand” promotion for a chance to win $1,000 or a new propane gas grill.

New research shows that propane-fueled irrigation engines cost up to 14 percent less to purchase and operate than diesel models. Propane fuel burns cleaner and more efficiently than traditional fuels, decreasing deposits on engine components and reducing toxic greenhouse gas emissions by up to 24 percent compared with diesel.

Farmers interested in powerful and efficient new propane-fueled irrigation engines can check out the Ford 6.8-liter industrial propane engine from Engine Distributors Inc. at the booth and apply for an incentive to purchase one.

The Propane Farm Incentive Program, sponsored by PERC, lowers the initial cost of purchasing a new EPA-certified propane-fueled irrigation engine, offering producers a $400 incentive per liter of engine displacement up to 10.3 liters, or $4,120. As part of the research and demonstration initiative, eligible farmers report on performance data for at least one season. Feedback from the program helps inform future product development.

Commodity Classic, Farming, Irrigation, Propane