Industry Ag News 1/20

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Farm Bureau, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Pork Producers Council, Texas Farm Bureau, and the US Poultry and Egg Association joined with other interests in filing a lawsuit in the Southern District of Texas challenging the Biden administration’s recently announced Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. Other organizations in the lawsuit represent interests such as transportation, construction, petroleum, real estate and mining.
  • Iowa State student Lydia Johnson will be a member of the Agri-Pulse team of journalists this spring as part of an immersive learning experience provided through the Iowa State University Foundation. She is the first candidate to be selected by ISU for this multiyear educational program. Johnson will be based in Washington, D.C., where she will write articles for the Agri-Pulse newsletter — a must-read, subscriber-only product offering the latest ag and food policy information — as well as contribute to all other facets of coverage offered at Agri-Pulse.com.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a proposed rule to update the definition of the “healthy” claim on food packaging to help improve American diets. The proposed rule would align the definition of the “healthy” claim with current nutrition science, the updated Nutrition Facts label, and the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Read the proposed rule here. The Georgia Peanut Commission and the U.S. Peanut Federation are requesting peanut growers and industry stakeholders to submit comments to the FDA using this link. Submitting comments ensures that the message of the peanut industry strong and clear for the FDA to take into consideration for the final rule.
  • National Association of State Departments of Agriculture members, the state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, hand-selected seven issues to serve as the organization’s primary policy focus for 2023. They include the 2023 Farm Bill, animal health, environmental regulations, food production and the supply chain, food safety, international trade and workforce development.
  • Exhibit space at the 2023 Commodity Classic in Orlando is rapidly reaching sell-out status with nearly 400 companies and over 2,600 booth spaces already committed. A limited number of prime visibility booths are expected to sell quickly.
  • The USDA National Organic Program previewed the Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule. This update to the USDA organic regulations strengthens oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic products. This final rule implements 2018 Farm Bill mandates, responds to industry requests for updates to the USDA organic regulations, and addresses National Organic Standards Board recommendations.
  • Northern Soy Marketing (NSM) traveled to Thailand for its first international trip of 2023, focused on promoting the soy quality of northern-grown and beans and meal exported via the Pacific Northwest, as well as the importance of looking at critical essential amino acids versus crude protein. NSM trip participants had the opportunity change the language around true protein quality during a seminar and site visits to feed mills and vegetable oil companies.
  • Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) bred four cotton lines that can be used to make self-extinguishing textiles when exposed to fire and will reduce the need for flame-retardant chemicals to be embedded in consumer products, according to a recent study published in PLOS ONE.
  • Join the Livestock Publications Council for a luncheon at Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. Register for NCBA-LPC Luncheon by Friday, January 20.
  • The National Corn Growers Association announced that Sadie Lackey has joined the organization as the manager of grassroots advocacy and leadership development.
Zimfo Bytes

Autonomy is Driving New Partnerships in Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

With the value of the autonomous farming sector forecast to reach $95 billion by 2027 the promise of business growth is leading to interesting partnerships and investment agreements.

“Autonomy Makes Strange Bedfellows” was the title of a panel at the 2023 VISION Conference this week organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and moderated by Senior Vice President Curt Blades with representatives from John Deere, Yara North America, and Topcon. “Those are three very different companies that are all collaborating with each other and others in the industry,” said Blades.

Blades says Yara is a global crop nutrition company that has been actively involved in AEM and the precision ag space. “They’ve had the vision of understanding how important it is to work really closely with traditional equipment manufacturers.”

Representing Yara on the panel was Incubation Lead Courtney Yuskis. She was joined by Michele Kaiser, Business Development Manager, ISG, John Deere, and Kent Carroll VP Sales for North America with Topcon Agriculture.

Listen to an interview with Blades about the panel and his comments on AEM’s latest tractor and combine sales report for 2022.
VISION 2023 interview with Curt Blades, AEM (4:44)

2023 VISION Conference Photo Album

AEM, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, AI, Audio, Equipment, Precision Agriculture, robotics, Technology

Unlocking the Potential of Imaging at VISION 2023

Cindy Zimmerman

Leaders in imagery technology offered insights into the true value proposition for agricultural users during one of the first panels at this week’s VISION Conference in Glendale, Arizona.

Dave Gebhardt, General Manager for EarthDaily Agro, moderated the panel which focused on fully utilizing the massive potential of imaging data. “Imagery has been around for a long, long time and it’s still not one of the most highly sought after data sets,” said Gebhardt. “So we talked a little bit about how we combine different data sets, maybe some satellite imagery with drones.”

Gebhardt says they are also working with different sectors in satellite imagery. “We’re measuring anything that’s green, so how about forestry, how about carbon? How about ESG? So we are looking at opportunities that go outside of traditional precision ag.”

Joining Gebhardt on the panel were Tim Hassinger, Intelinair, Inc.; Orlando Saez, Aker Technologies; and Ron Osborne, Head of Technology for Agriculture, Amazon Web Services.

Learn more in this interview with Gebhardt from the 2023 VISION Conference.
VISION 2023 interview with Dave Gebhardt, EarthDaily Agro (4:48)

2023 VISION Conference Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Media, Precision Agriculture

BASF Sponsors Awards at Beltwide Cotton Conferences

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF helped to recognize the Cotton Specialist of the Year and Cotton Marketer of the Year at last week’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

Dr. Murilo Maeda

Dr. Murilo Maeda, assistant professor and extension cotton specialist from Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension, in Lubbock, Texas, was named the 2023 Cotton Specialist of the Year.

Maeda has been in the cotton industry his entire life, growing up in Brazil on his family’s cotton farm, coming to the U.S. in 2010, receive his doctoral degree in agronomy and crop physiology in 2015 from Texas A&M University. In 2018, he made his debut in the extension industry.

“Along with solid field knowledge, Dr. Maeda also brought an excellent focus in technology, specifically a focus into drone use for producers,” said Kenny Melton, BASF Agronomic Services Manager. “He does a great job bringing West Texas producers into the 21st century and beyond. Not only does he bring the technology knowledge needed to make advancements, but he also does a great job explaining what he is doing and why so that the producers can have a baseline knowledge as well.”

Maeda recently accepted a full-time position with BASF as its Breeding Technology Manager. Along with his wife and two children, he will be moving back to Brazil to use his focus on drones and the sensing industry to work on BASF’s cotton breeding business in Brazil.

Joe Mencer receives Marketer award from O.A. Cleveland

Arkansas cotton grower Joe Mencer was named Cotton Marketer of the Year. The Joseph J. O’Neill Cotton Marketer of the Year award presented by ICE Futures (formerly the New York Cotton Exchange) and BASF dates back to 1991.

Mencer is a third-generation farmer and has been farming since 1979 when he started his operation in Lake Village, Arkansas, with 125 acres of rice on his father and uncle’s land. Mencer had been working for his family since he was old enough to drive the equipment used on their farm. Today, Mencer grows 1,800 acres of cotton, 1,800 acres of rice, 1,000 acres of corn and 2,400 acres of soybeans. He also manages 1,600 acres of timber across Arkansas and Mississippi.

Mencer runs a family business with the help of his wife and two sons and is also heavily involved in many agriculture boards and committees, including the Arkansas Boll Weevil Board, representing Arkansas on the National Boll Weevil Board, the USA Rice and Arkansas Rice boards.

Listen to Mencer’s acceptance remarks and
2023 Beltwide Cotton Marketer of the Year remarks :43

Listen to an interview with Kenny Melton about BASF’s involvement at Beltwide Cotton.
2023 Beltwide Cotton interview Kenny Melton, BASF 4:15

Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Precision Ag News 1/18

Carrie Muehling

  • Strengthening its commitment to Working Together for a Planet of Plenty, Alltech Crop Science has acquired Ideagro, based in Murcia, Spain. This partnership joins two leading platforms to accelerate soil and crop research, and to enhance biological and other microorganism-based offerings to Alltech Crop Science customers throughout the world.
  • Golden Harvest will hold a series of nine virtual sessions focused on key agronomic management practices to maximize corn and soybean yield potential. The virtual sessions will be led by the Golden Harvest agronomy team and third-party speakers. Each session is interactive with a platform to ask questions. Attendees can earn Certified Crop Adviser CEU credits during each of the sessions. All sessions are on Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. CST. By registering, you will be signed up for all nine events. Feel free to join whichever sessions interest you. Each virtual session is free and open to the public, and media are encouraged to attend. Click this link to register for the 2023 Agronomy in Action Insight Series.
  • Precision Reach, agriculture’s leading programmatic service provider, has new research showing targeted social media is an effective way to reach agriculture audiences. These findings have shaped a new social media advertising product that connects businesses with target audiences — Precise Social.
  • Ten farmers who planted Golden Harvest® corn hybrids throughout Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin have earned top honors in the 2022 National Corn Yield Contest conducted by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Including two first-place victors, the farmers won 10 places across five different irrigation and production types nationwide.
  • The Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) announced Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson will keynote PBPC 2023 Annual Conference: Circular Solutions. As the Representative for Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District and the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Rep. Thompson will share remarks on Congress’ priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill, growing the bioeconomy, rural economic development, and fostering innovation in agriculture.
  • Precision Planting revealed their newest product, Panorama, which helps farmers utilize the data from their 20|20 monitor. Panorama was announced during the first day of the company’s annual Winter Conference.
  • Combine harvester sales finished the year with healthy gains in unit sales while ag tractors finished the year below 2021 levels in both the U.S. and Canada according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). Total U.S. ag tractor unit sales fell for both the month of December as well as the year as a whole compared to 2021, with the sub-40hp segment leading losses in both timeframes, losing 26.7 percent for the month and 19.3 percent for calendar 2022. U.S. self-propelled combine sales, however, grew 16.3 percent on the month, finishing the year up 15.8 percent. Only one other segment grew for the year, 100+hp units, finished the year up 11.3 percent despite losing 2.7 percent for the month of December. Total farm tractor sales in the U.S. for the year fell 14.8 percent versus 2021.
  • The second webinar in the Adjuvant Advantage for the Sales Agronomist series, Using Oils to Protect Your Chemical Investment, will be hosted by the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA) on Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. EST. Registration is open to all. Certified Crop Advisers will earn one Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program IPM CEU for participating.
  • GO Seed is pleased to announce the addition of Cher Gillson to their Sales and Marketing team.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Groundwork BioAg Expands North American Team

Cindy Zimmerman

Groundwork BioAg announced today that industry leader Andrew Duff has joined as General Manager – North America. Duff, who has more than 20 years of experience in biostimulants, seed technology and U.S. crop production, will help the company accelerate the adoption of its Rootella mycorrhizal inoculants and meet demand for biological solutions in mainstream crops, such as corn, soybean and cotton.

In this newly created role, Duff will lead the company’s existing operations established in 2016 and ensure a direct line of communication with North American distribution partners and growers, following another consecutive year of growth for Groundwork BioAg.

“I am incredibly excited to join Groundwork BioAg at such a pivotal time in agriculture when many farmers and industry partners are adopting new solutions that address climate concerns and sustainability goals,” said Duff. “Groundwork BioAg is on the forefront of climate-smart agriculture and is bringing products to the farm that improve profitability today and for generations to come.”

Growing up on a farm in the Mississippi Delta, Duff brings a wealth of knowledge and in-depth experience in agriculture spanning across distribution, manufacturing and production with an expertise in major crop inputs. Previously, Duff led global strategy for biostimulants at Verdesian Life Sciences. In addition, he served in leadership roles at Pinnacle Agriculture and Monsanto. He attended business school at the University of Mississippi and earned a law degree and MBA from Mississippi College. Duff is currently based in Southaven, Mississippi.

Learn more about Duff and Groundwork BioAg in this interview:
Interview with Andrew Duff, Groundwork BioAg (5:28)

AgWired Precision, Biologicals, Precision Agriculture, Soil

Welcome to the 6th Annual VISION Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The 6th annual VISION Conference kicked off in Glendale, Arizona Tuesday with a welcome from Joe Monahan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Meister Media Worldwide, organizer of the event.

“Our goal with the vision conference is to bring together a broad mix of voice, perspectives and capabilities that are driving change across the food value chain,” said Monahan. “It’s really looking into the future of ag tech.”

The theme for this year’s conference, Harnessing the Power of Agriculture 4.0 – Turning Innovation into Reality, centers around key topics that are driving Agriculture 4.0: virtual cropping systems, autonomy, AI, climate smart ag, vertical farming, weather mapping, imagery and more.

Monahan says the VISION Conference is just one of element of Meister Media Worldwide’s Global AgTech Initiative. “Our goal with the Global AgTech Initiative is to provide opportunities to connect the industry through multiple touchpoints ranging from market intelligence to research and thought leadership.”

Listen to Monahan’s remarks and interview below.
VISION 2023 welcome - Joe Monahan, Meister Media Worldwide (5:28)

Interview with Joe Monahan, Meister Media President and Chief Operating Officer
VISION 2023 interview with Joe Monahan, Meister Media Worldwide (3:12)

2023 VISION Conference Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Animal Ag News 1/17

Carrie Muehling

  • John Starkey has announced his upcoming retirement as president of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY). A search committee for his replacement will be formed at the January USPOULTRY board meeting, and a selection process and timeline will be established. Once a successor is in place, Starkey will remain available in an advisory role for the remainder of 2023.
  • The top 10 teams of the National FFA Food Science and Technology Career Development Event (CDE) have been invited to attend the International Poultry Expo, part of the 2023 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), as a result of the USPOULTRY Foundation’s continued initiative to attract students to the poultry and egg industry. The opportunity for teams of the Food Science and Technology CDE to attend is made possible in part by endowing Foundation gifts from Pilgrim’s and Cargill.
  • Every day cattle producers across the country reaffirm their commitment to protecting environmental resources, supporting communities and creating an economically viable future through effective management practices. The “Beef Sustainability Forum – Continuing our Commitment to a Sustainable Future,” sponsored by Elanco, will be held on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 12:30 p.m. in New Orleans to highlight the industry’s sustainability efforts. The annual Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show is the oldest and largest convention for the cattle business. The 2023 convention, Feb. 1-3 in New Orleans, features education, entertainment and business meetings.
  • Colorado State University graduate students Ashley Schilling of Timnath, Colorado, and Lane Giess, of Pierz, Minnesota, have each been awarded a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF). The annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program, established by NCF in 2007, recognizes outstanding graduate students who plan to pursue careers furthering the beef industry.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is pleased to welcome credentialed members of the media to register free of charge for Dairy Forum 2023 in Orlando, Fla. Members of the press who are interested in attending the event must first RSVP to Matt Herrick at mherrick@idfa.org. Learn more about the event at www.dairyforum.com.
  • Fifty cattle, farm, rural and consumer groups sent a joint letter to U.S. Senate and House members who, during the last session of Congress, cosponsored the American Beef Labeling Act that restores mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef. The letter expressed the groups’ gratitude for the congressional members’ leadership and support of the American Beef Labeling Act during the last session of Congress and urged them to reintroduce the measure in the new Congress that started on January 3, 2023. In their letter, the groups pledged their support to assist Congress in the swift enactment of the bill.
  • Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association announced several student opportunities during the 2023 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo including free admission for students, a graduate research poster showcase and a youth photo contest. Students will receive free admission to the 2023 School for Successful Ranching and Expo by using the code STUDENT when registering at cattleraisersconvention.com. Students must present a student ID at the registration desk on site.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Wrap Up

Cindy Zimmerman

Another successful Beltwide Cotton Conferences is in the books and it was good to see attendance and participation back up to pre-pandemic levels.

“I’m always glad to kick off the year with Beltwide,” said Hank Jones, RSJ Ag Services, who once again served as chair for the Consultants Conference. “One of the things that I’ve always loved about the conference is that it’s for the cotton belt so if we need to get somebody from Washington DC or a high end specialist we can do that.”

2023 Beltwide Cotton interview with Hank Jones, RSJ Ag Services 7:18

Lori Duncan, University of Tennessee Biosystems Engineering Professor, was chair for the Sustainability Conference. “This is our fifth year as a conference within the Beltwide Cotton Conferences,” said Duncan. “We’ve seen a lot more conversation around transparency with programs like the Cotton Trust Protocol.”

Duncan said they also talked more in this year’s conference about circularity and going from a linear to a circular economy.

2023 Beltwide Cotton interview Sustainability Conference chair Lori Duncan 4:32

Find photos and lots more interviews from the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in the
Beltwide Cotton Conferences Virtual Newsroom

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Industry Ag News 1/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Farmer and rancher delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 104th Convention adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2023. Key topics ranged from expanding risk management programs and improving dairy pricing transparency to battling hunger. Delegates were polled regarding their farms at the beginning of the voting session. The results show almost 99% (334 delegates) of those who cast votes operate family farms and almost 65% represent small- to mid-size farms as defined by USDA.
  • Only a few days remain to take advantage of early registration discounts for the 2023 Commodity Classic to be held March 9-11 in Orlando. Friday, January 20, 2023, is the last day the early registration discount will be in effect.
  • Once again, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) invites all its guilds to participate in the IFAJ Star Prize. Online entry forms are now open, and entries will be accepted until February 28, 2023. New this year, individual members of IFAJ member guilds can nominate themselves and enter their work directly into the online form.
  • Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., an agricultural bioscience company, announced that it has signed with Mitsubishi Corporation a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate the establishment of a partnership to supply, offtake and market Camelina as a low-carbon feedstock oil for biofuels. Mitsubishi Corporation recently announced its aim to mass produce sustainable aviation fuel to decarbonize commercial aviation.
  • The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to announce the promotion of Sarah Novak to chief operating officer. Novak has served the association for over 15 years as the vice president of membership and public relations.
  • Farm Journal’s 26th annual Top Producer Summit is set for Jan. 23-25, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville. The event will bring forward-thinking farmers and ranchers together to share business opportunities and ideas to take their operations to the next level.
  • Minneapolis Grain Exchange, a Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization, reported full-year 2022 trading volume of 3.3 million contracts, representing a 15.0% year-over-year decrease from the same period in 2021 and the second highest annual volume total in its history.
  • Mike King has joined Blank Page Marketing (BLNKPG) as a new Account Director. King brings more than 25 years of experience in both agricultural communications and public relations to BLNKPG. In his new role, King will assist in managing BLNKPG’s client services team and its members.
  • The Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) is excited to announce a major sponsorship to ring in the new year. Farmers Union Enterprises, which comprises Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin’s Farmers Union organizations, is lending substantial financial support to the future crush and research facility in south Crookston.
  • The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is excited to announce Jared Palmer as its new Communications Manager. Palmer’s responsibilities will include overseeing IRFA’s social media networks and press communications.
  • KCoe Isom, doing business as Pinion*, and Anderson ZurMuehlen, two leading U.S. accounting and business advisory firms, announced they have combined businesses, effective January 1, 2023. Pinion will provide expanded advisory services, resources, and outstanding career opportunities, building the foundation required for long-term growth and a stronger national presence with a gateway to global expansion. *Pinion is a public-facing brand under the legal entity KCoe Isom, LLP. Attest services provided by KCoe Isom, LLP.
  • The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Government Relations department has hired four new team members whose expertise and relationships will strengthen advocacy efforts with policymakers and stakeholders that will benefit Illinois soybean farmers by developing and executing complex policy initiatives.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture