Industry Ag News 1/4

Carrie Muehling

  • American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on EPA’s issuance of yet another Waters of the United States Rule, which will replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. “AFBF is extremely disappointed in the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ new Waters of the United States Rule. Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the nation’s waterways, but they deserve rules that don’t require a team of attorneys and consultants to identify ‘navigable waters’ on their land.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation will present its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award and the Farm Bureau Founders Award, to former AFBF Executive Vice President Dale Moore and former North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten, respectively, during the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention, Jan. 6-11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalism (IFAJ) and Alltech have opened nominations for the 2023 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders program. The deadline to apply is January 30, 2023.
  • EOS SAT-1, the first imaging satellite to be built by Dragonfly Aerospace, has lifted off from SpaceX’s launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida as part of the Transporter-6 mission. The satellite is the first of a seven-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit for customer EOSDA (EOS Data Analytics). The remaining six satellites of the constellation will be deployed over the next three years.
  • ADM is bringing forward authentic stories of producers and their crucial role in our nation’s food supply chain through a new video series titled “Faces of Food.” Each episode features a different farm family, their unique operation, challenges they’ve faced, and how local community support has been a factor in their growth, innovation and success.
  • The Alabama Peanut Producers Association seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board. The Alabama Peanut Producers Association will hold a nominations election to select two nominees each for member and alternate to the National Peanut Board during a meeting on February 2, 2023, following the Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show. All eligible peanut producers are encouraged to participate. Eligible producers are those who are engaged in the production and sale of peanuts and who own or share the ownership and risk of loss of the crop.
  • Applications are now available for the 16th annual “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, presented by E.M. Tharp and World Ag Expo. The scholarship was created to support agriculture education and encourage students from the Central Valley to pursue a career in agriculture. High school seniors from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties are eligible for the scholarship. To apply, students must plan to attend a four-year college or university with a focus on pursuing an agricultural career. Two students will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship and the funds will be disbursed over four years at $2,500 per year. The deadline to apply is January 13, 2023.
  • Following a two-month decline and a year of weak sentiment, the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer closed out the year on a more positive note, rallying 24 points in December to a reading of 126. U.S. farmers were more optimistic about both their current situation and expectations for the future. The Current Conditions Index jumped 37 points to a reading of 135, while the Future Expectations Index increased 18 points to a reading of 122. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey. This survey was conducted from December 5-9.
  • Registration for the 34th Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) Annual Conference closes January 9. The IPSA conference will be held January 24-26 in Tucson, Arizona.
Zimfo Bytes

RaboResearch North America Names Senior Dairy Analyst

Cindy Zimmerman

Dairy industry research analyst and economist Lucas Fuess has been appointed Senior Dairy Analyst at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness (F&A) team in North America. Fuess has served the dairy industry throughout his entire career and gained recognition domestically and globally for his foresight and first-hand industry knowledge.

Rabobank’s RaboResearch F&A group is a global team of more than 75 analysts who monitor and evaluate global market events that affect food and agriculture worldwide. Fuess will join more than 20 analysts based in North America who are internationally respected experts in sectors ranging from dairy to produce, farm inputs, to consumer foods and beverages. The F&A team discerns key insights into agricultural markets; conducts in-depth analysis of the factors that drive sector success or failure; and examines megatrends that ultimately influence clients’ business strategies.

Fuess comes to Rabobank from HighGround Dairy, where he was responsible for leading the dairy market analysis group and delivering maximum analytical value to global dairy clients through published market research and client engagement. Before joining HighGround, Lucas spent seven years at Glanbia Nutritionals as a dairy analyst and economist.

Agribusiness, Animal Agriculture, Dairy

Precision Ag News 12/29

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of $9.5 million to support the scale-up of sustainable bioproduct manufacturing in the United States. Three successful projects are funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Bioproduct Pilot Program, which funds research and development of value-added products from agricultural commodities.
  • USDA’s $9.5 million investment in sustainable U.S. bioproduct manufacturing will fund research and development of value-added products from agricultural commodities, including soy. The innovative soy project, run by Soylei Innovations of Ames, Iowa, transforms high oleic soybean oil into thermoplastic rubber for pavements, and has had the support of ASA and its farmer leaders.
  • The 6th Annual VISION Conference organized by Meister Media Worldwide, the leading global media company serving specialty agricultural markets around the globe, returns to the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Arizona on January 17-18, 2023.
  • The American Soybean Association and 19 other agricultural groups argued before the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 15 in Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, et al. v. Michael Regan, et al. (Eighth Cir. 22-1422). The groups urged the court to reinstate chlorpyrifos tolerances that the Environmental Protection Agency has found safe. EPA arbitrarily revoked those safe tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which effectively ended agricultural uses of the important pesticide. The decision has inflicted enormous costs on thousands of farmers across the country and undermined their ability to protect their crops from devastating insect pests.
  • Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) published a comprehensive policy platform for advancing equitable and resilient seed systems in the next Farm Bill and beyond. The platform provides recommendations on how Congress, regulatory agencies, and state governments can support organic seed producers and the diversity of our national seed supply.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag News 12/27

Carrie Muehling

  • As of Dec. 1, there were 73.1 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 2% from December 2021 and down 1% from Sept. 1, 2022, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
  • “The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauds Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s announcement on the extension of lower tariff rates on pork and other food items. Gaining better market access to the Philippines has been a top trade priority for U.S. pork producers. We hope that the U.S. and the Philippines will continue to work toward establishing better market access through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. This comes at the heels of NPPC working with the U.S. and Philippine governments to work on the prevention and preparedness against the spread of African swine fever throughout the country and region. This extension is an essential component of the commitment of NPPC and the United States to Food Security for the Philippines.”
  • Gail G. Klinkner, a Liberty Pole, Wis., dairy farmer, is newly appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB). Klinkner will serve alongside 35 additional dairy farmer members representing 12 geographic regions within the U.S. and one importer representing dairy importers.
  • Tyne Morgan, host of the U.S. Farm Report, will reprise her role as moderator at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2023 Stakeholders Summit, scheduled for May 4-5 in Arlington, Va. Registration is set to open in early January.
  • 4-Hers from around the country recently participated in the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. The conference offers the students a variety of opportunities to learn about the poultry and egg industries, while also providing an opportunity to interact with industry leaders. The USPOULTRY Foundation is a long-time sponsor of the event, and support for the Conference is made possible in part by a Foundation gift from Amick Farms.
  • With over 6 billion #MilkFanatics, the Milk Hall Of Fame announced the beta launch of a new and updated www.MilkHallOfFame.com website.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) offers attendees access to the latest in protein and feed technology through exhibits and educational programing. TECHTalks are free, 20-minute technical presentations, offered each day at IPPE.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 12/23

Carrie Muehling

  • AgriThority has developed a new association with DnA Advisory Services. With a focus on North America and Europe, the addition of the DnA Advisory team will deepen the AgriThority business and market development expertise and amplify services in Europe.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and Corteva Agriscience have extended the application deadline for the 2023 IFAJ/Corteva Master Class to December 31, 2022. The program brings together agricultural journalists and communicators from non-member countries for professional development, networking and leadership training in a unique Boot Camp that includes workshops and farm tours. Master Class participants—selected by an international panel of judges—will also attend the IFAJ World Congress in Olds, Alberta, Canada, from June 27 through July 3, 2023. Travel, accommodation and registration fees are paid through a grant from Corteva.
  • Torrey Advisory Group (TAG) is proud to add Jacqueline Muhammad to the policy team as a director of government affairs. Jacqueline joins the firm with nearly a decade of experience specializing in agriculture and food policy, capacity building, and campaign management.
  • Join us on February 23-24, 2023 at USDA’s largest annual gathering — the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum. With the theme “U.S. Agriculture: Seeds of Growth Through Innovation,” the Forum will focus on the role of innovation in driving agricultural growth while ensuring sustainability. More than 30 sessions and 100 agriculture leaders and subject matter experts will discuss key issues impacting the sector. Check out session details here.
  • Alltech continues to partner in the Women in Food & Agriculture Mentorship Program. Applications are now open for new mentors of any gender and for female mentees from across the global food and agriculture sector. Now in its third year, the free-to-join program matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include gender of mentor, areas of expertise, language and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections.
  • Dustin Johansen, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Farm Journal, was re-elected chairman of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City at the group’s annual meeting held December 14. Ron Seeber, who serves as CEO Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, and Renew Kansas Biofuels Association was re-elected vice chairman.
  • MN AG EXPO returns in 2023 with a robust agenda that promises to bring lasting connections and conversations among the agriculture community. Minnesota’s premier indoor agriculture trade show is held Jan. 18-19, 2023, at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA), which co-sponsors MN AG EXPO, and MSGA are holding their annual meetings and finalizing 2023 policy resolutions on Wednesday, Jan. 18 and Thursday, Jan. 19, respectively.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed the 2022 Census of Agriculture paper questionnaires to all known agriculture producers across the nation and Puerto Rico. Producers in the states also received their survey codes with an invitation to respond online. Any producer who did not respond online now has the option to complete the ag census at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Producers who have already responded to the 2022 Census of Agriculture online do not need to respond again. The deadline for response is Feb. 6, 2023.
  • If you can’t make it to the American Farm Bureau Convention in person, there is a virtual option. Visit AnnualConvention.fb.org/Virtual for a full schedule of events included with a Virtual Only Registration for only $25.
  • At the annual board of directors meeting in December, the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) swore in a new director, Zack Rendel of Miami, Oklahoma, who was appointed by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The board also elected officers, selecting Adam Schindler of Reliance, South Dakota, as its new chairman.
  • Megan Waeltz of Marissa, Illinois, has been named the national winner of the 2023 GROWMARK essay contest for FFA members. The theme of this year’s contest was “How can agricultural cooperatives stay relevant to future generations?” Waeltz is a student at Marissa High School and a member of the Marissa FFA Chapter. Her FFA advisor is Kim Portz. She will receive a $1000 award from GROWMARK, and the Marissa FFA will receive $750.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are accepting applications for new members to serve on agricultural trade advisory committees. Members of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee provide advice to the administration on the implementation and enforcement of existing U.S. trade agreements, negotiation of new agreements, and other trade policy matters. Members of the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees, or ATACs, provide technical advice and guidance on international trade issues that affect specific agricultural commodity sectors. Application instructions are available at https://www.fas.usda.gov/trade-advisory-committees-applying-membership. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 31, 2023. Any applications received after the deadline will be considered for future appointments, as appropriate.
Zimfo Bytes

Southeastern Farmers of the Year Give Back to Communities

Cindy Zimmerman

2022 Swisher/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Robert Saunders of Virginia

The 10 growers honored as the 2022 Southeastern Farmers of the Year in their respective states took the opportunity provided by Syngenta to donate to organizations close to their hearts. Syngenta gave $5,500 in donations in $500 increments to the charity, group or non-profit chosen by each farmer in the 2022 Swisher/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program.

Robert E. Saunders of Piney River, Virginia, was chosen as the overall Farmer of the Year for 2022. Because of this distinction, Saunders received two $500 donations, which he will be donating to the Nelson Memorial Library, which is part of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system in his home of Nelson County, Virginia.

“My wife Pat and I chose to donate to the Nelson Memorial Library, which has been serving individuals of Nelson County for 50 years,” he said. “Our donation will benefit all of Nelson County, a place my family has called home for nearly 200 years.” 

The rest of the 2022 Southeastern Farmers of the Year and their charities of choice include:

• Mark Byrd, Danville, Alabama: St. Jude Children’s Hospital

• Chris Sweat, McCaskill, Arkansas: Huck’s Military Care Package Project

• Jerry Dakin, Myakka City, Florida: Gator Wilderness Camp School 

• Scotty Raines, Sycamore, Georgia: First Baptist Church of Tifton 

• Wesley C. Parker, Oak Grove, Kentucky: St. Jude Children’s Hospital

• Michael Lynn Wagner, Sumner, Mississippi: St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Extra Table Mississippi 

• Kevin Matthews, East Bend, North Carolina: Forbush High School FFA

• Keith Allen, Latta, South Carolina: The Miracle League of Florence County 

• John M. Harrison, Philadelphia, Tennessee: Randy Davis Memorial Milk Fund

Sunbelt Ag Expo, Syngenta

Precision Ag News 12/21

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. farmers not only planted and harvested a large crop successfully in 2022, but they also rolled out some impressive yields in the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) National Corn Yield Contest despite an array of weather challenges.
  • Scott Peterson, a farmer from Miller, South Dakota, won the Ultimate Farm Truck, a custom-built Ford F-350 Lariat Crew Cab, as part of a giveaway sponsored by Pivot Bio. Peterson was awarded the truck during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The truck, which was built by Heavy D, Diesel Dave and the crew at Sparks Motors as part of the five-episode show, Ultimate Farm Truck that aired on RFDTV and streamed online, included a laundry-list of farmer-specified features gathered to make the truck one-of-a-kind.
  • The third annual Tech Hub LIVE offers an innovative, forward-looking experience with an expansive range of features encompassing all segments of data driven agriculture and attracts the largest gathering of thought leaders and innovative practitioners. Early registration is now open for the event, which is scheduled for July 24-26, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • NK Seeds recently announced several new appointments to its corporate marketing team, who will help drive the brand’s commitment to farmer success: Ana Grau, Head of Marketing, NK Seeds; Matt Dolch, NK Seeds Corn Product Manager; and Jared Benson, NK Seeds Soybean Product Manager.
  • Albaugh announced that the company has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for AceTM 3.8L ST, a new fungicide seed treatment offering, available for sale spring 2023 (EPA Reg. No. 45002-40).
  • EVOIA, Inc. announced their introductory product has attained key sustainability certifications. AmpliFYR, an innovative seed treatment made from biochar extract, has recently been recognized as compliant with the USDA National Organic Program standards by the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) and the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). Additionally, AmpliFYR has been certified 100% biobased through the USDA BioPreferred program.
  • Traction Ag Inc., the first cloud-based accounting software delivering solutions to growers across the Midwest, announced a partnership with CropZilla, a data-driven machinery management software. By combining the platforms, users will get a streamlined accounting process for optimizing their equipment fleet and gain a better understanding of their equipment productivity, costs and replacement needs.
  • Indigo Ag announced it has made a second set of payments to farmers in the Carbon by Indigo program. The payments, which total more than $3.7 million, come ahead of the company’s second credit issuance, anticipated for the first half of 2023.
  • Another leading agronomic professional has joined Meristem Crop Performance, one of the fastest-growing crop input suppliers in America. David Sass becomes a Meristem sales representative for the upper western Corn Belt.
  • Farmwave is the latest company to be added to the Ag Startup Engine portfolio, a premier seed program for agricultural startups. As a new addition to the portfolio of companies, Farmwave will continue building out the business and functionality of their product with additional funding through the ASE and their investors.
  • Lindsay Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with Ceres Imaging, an Oakland, Calif., provider of high-resolution imagery analytics with support for precision agriculture. The Ceres Imaging technology will populate high-resolution images in Lindsay’s industry-leading FieldNET® platform.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

The 2023 VISION Conference will Harness the Power of Ag 4.0

Cindy Zimmerman

The 6th Annual VISION Conference, organized by Meister Media Worldwide, returns to the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Arizona on January 17-18, 2023.

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

The VISION Conference is where the full industry ecosystem convenes to map the strategic potential for the advancement of technology in agribusiness, with a focus on the drivers that will succeed in transforming the industry within 3 – 5 years.
The 2023 event will take a focused look at ways data and tech trends will change operations.

Supporters and sponsors include Bio Huma Netics, EFC Systems, Planet Labs PBC, and Raven Industries, AgGateway, and the Agricultural Retailers Association.

Keynote speaker for the event will be Robin Raskin, founder of The Virtual Events Group (VEG), who will share insights on the metaverse and what it means to the agriculture industry. To register for the 2023 VISION Conference, or for more information, visit TheVisionConference.com.

Get a preview of the conference in this interview with coordinators Lara Sowinski, CropLife Media Group and Renee Targos, Editor of AgriBusiness Global.
The VISION Conference 2023 preview (9:20)

AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Farming, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Humic Growth Solutions Becomes HGS BioScience™

Cindy Zimmerman

Humic Growth Solutions is now HGS BioScience™ with new leadership and a new name and brand identity.

The name HGS BioScience™ is a nod to the company’s expanding product portfolio and dedication to research and development. Newly-appointed chief executive officer Michael Steffeck has committed to making HGS the preeminent provider of functional carbon products in the world.

“We are laser focused on helping farmers use our science to increase their bottom line,” said Michael Steffeck, CEO. “My vision is to create an innovation pipeline and hire the most experienced agriculture leaders to get those products into customer’s hands. HGS partners with retailers to help farmers get more from their land, one of our most precious commodities.”

HGS is poised for rapid growth in coming years under the new leadership of Steffeck. With decades of leadership experience across the agriculture sector, he brings a singular vision to the role of CEO. He has both founded and led major agricultural companies across the U.S.

Recent company innovations include expanding the Performance Granule™ portfolio. Steffeck says HGS also has an advantage in getting its products to market with six North American production facilities.

Learn more about HGS BioScience.

AgWired Precision, Biologicals, Fertilizer, Precision Agriculture, Soil