Bayer CropScience Showcases One World Theme

John Davis

At the recent Farm Progress Show, Bayer CropScience showcased its “One World to Grow On” theme… a holistic approach that helps producers figure out how to maximize harvests in the short and long terms. “Our purpose is to propel farming’s future,” said Inci Dannenberg, VP commercial operations for Bayer CropScience. “The whole idea was to take a look at what are the critical aspects that our agricultural industry is looking at and facing, and specifically growers, in order to be able to maximize their output to feed that planet out there and what can we offer to help that producer maximize.”

Dannenberg said Bayer CropScience “offers a balanced portfolio of innovation,” from seeds to crop protection products. Plus, the company’s recent acquisition of AgraQuest gives the company an inroad on biologicals. “[This acquisition provides] an opportunity for a programmed approach for sustainable products, long term,” as well as a variety of seed treatments.

“[The One World to Grow On theme] is an incredible opportunity for BayerCrop Science, and we’re very proud to work for such a noble cause as the American grower and feeding the planet,” Dannenberg concluded.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Inci here: Inci Dannenberg, Bayer CropScience

2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Bayer, Farm Progress Show

Rally Calls for Farm Bill Now

Cindy Zimmerman

About 500 people turned out for the Farm Bill Now rally near the Capitol on Wednesday, which featured members of Congress as well as representatives from a number of the nearly 100 organizations who make up the coalition calling for a comprehensive, five year food, farm and jobs legislation before the current bill expires at the end of this month.

The event was co-hosted by American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman and National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson. “Perhaps never in the history of farm legislation have so many diverse farmer and rancher voices joined together for such a common call for action on a farm bill,” said Stallman. “We gather here under a banner adorned with three words. FARM. BILL. NOW. And we are here to raise our voices toward Capitol Hill.”

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson told the rally that there’s no good reason why the House has not yet brought the farm bill passed out of his committee to the floor for a vote. “People say we don’t have the votes, I don’t agree with that,” he said. “We just need the opportunity to have this bill come up and work on it.”

However, Peterson believes that if nothing changes between now and the end of the month, the bill will be put off indefinitely. “This rally is a good starting point, but what we need is 100-200 calls from people in their districts to these members. If you don’t do that, we’re not going to get a farm bill.”

Peterson praised Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow for getting a bill passed by the Senate, and she gave credit to her entire committee for working together to get it done. “We could pay for the national deficit if we had a dollar for every person that said we couldn’t get this done,” Stabenow said. “There’s no reason this farm bill can’t get passed by the House. You just have to want to get it done.”

Stabenow stressed only 18 days are left before the current farm bill expires. On the first day Congress was back in Washington on Monday, she went to the floor of the Senate urging the House leadership to pass a bill in that time. Watch that speech from YouTube.

AFBF, Farm Bill, Farm Policy, Video

Soybean Association Grows a Nation in Afghanistan

John Davis

We hear a lot about the war in Afghanistan but often times don’t hear as much about the peace-building efforts there. From my own experience, I can tell you that our efforts to build that nation will most likely have as big, if not bigger, impact as any military strike. Our friends at the American Soybean Association (ASA) must be thinking the same as they have partnered with the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service for the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program to put in Afghanistan’s first soybean processing factory as part of the Soybeans in Agricultural Renewal of Afghanistan Initiative (SARAI).

“It’s great to see the Afghan and U.S. partners get this soybean processing facility up and operating,” [FAS Agriculture Minister Counselor Quintin] Gray says. “It will help Afghanistan agriculture continue to develop.”

Through USDA’s Food for Progress Program, WISHH and its partners have established Afghanistan’s first commercial soybean value chain as part of the Soybeans in Agricultural Renewal of Afghanistan Initiative (SARAI). As a result, Iowa-made processing equipment from Insta-Pro now has soybeans from Afghanistan as well as Ohio, Michigan and other states flowing through it. An Afghan company provided the land and the building as well as employs the staff.Read More

ASA, International, Soybean

New Agvocating Tool – iPhone 5

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s here (almost). The newest gadget to make agricultural communications fun. It’s the iPhone 5, announced by Apple today. If you missed the announcement you can read back through live coverage on Engadget. You can begin pre-ordering online this Friday or buy in Apple stores on September 21.

Some of the things that stood out for me include:

It will be thinner, taller, same width.
Will have Ultrafast Wireless and LTE supported by AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.
Will have better battery life than 4S model.
Camera will be 8 megapixel with f/2.4 aperture. It already was best phone camera!
Three microphones. Sound great for farm podcasting!

So, if you’ve been waiting then the wait is over. Apple also announced new iPods, iTunes updating and EarPods which will replace the age old white ear buds.

Equipment, Farming, Media

Ethanol Producers Support Farm Bill Now

Cindy Zimmerman

The ethanol producer organization Growth Energy will be among the many groups that will be at the Farm Bill Now rally today on Capitol Hill. CEO Tom Buis says members of Growth Energy have been meeting with members of Congress and the administration this week to discuss maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and farm policy has been a part of those discussions.

“Every meeting that I was in, the farm bill came up,” Tom said during a press conference this morning in Washington DC. “Although most of the comments from the lawmakers indicated that it probably is not going to happen before September 30.”

He says they are supportive of the Senate passed version of the legislation, which does contain an energy title and is adequately funded. “We would hope they would pass it,” he said, noting that not having a farm bill creates uncertainty for agriculture. “Not knowing what the programs are going to be makes it very difficult for people to operate.”

Tom formerly served as president of the National Farmers Union before taking over as CEO of Growth Energy in 2009. NFU will be one of the co-hosts of today’s rally.

Tom Buis audio comment here: Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis

Audio, Ethanol, Farm Bill

Corn Maze QR Code

Chuck Zimmerman

I’d hate to see the size of the scanner you’d need to read this QR code. Actually, you can scan it via a flyover. It was tested from a helicopter.

The Kraay Family Farm in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada got themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records for this effort which is just over a mile square. The code takes you to their family farm website btw. They say every day’s an adventure on the farm. Looks like it to me.

Photo comes from their Facebook page. Heads up via Engadget.

Corn, Farming

Genuity DroughtGard Hybrids Introduced

Melissa Sandfort

For the 2013 season, Western Great Plains farmers will have a new tool to help manage drought conditions with the stewarded commercial introduction of Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard™ Hybrids. The DroughtGard Hybrids system combines germplasm selected for its drought-tolerant characteristics, the drought-tolerant biotechnology trait and agronomic recommendations.

The system is designed to help the corn plant so it can use less water when drought stress occurs. This improved hydro-efficiency creates the opportunity to conserve soil moisture and can help minimize yield loss from drought conditions.

The DroughtGard Hybrids introduction in 2013 will be led by Monsanto’s DEKALB® brand with limited availability in Monsanto’s other brands and licensees. The company is also planning DroughtGard Hybrids field trials across the corn-growing area next year.

Farmers who purchase DroughtGard Hybrids must sign a stewardship agreement committing to use the grain as on-farm feed or to sell the grain for domestic use due to pending import approvals in key export markets. While Monsanto anticipates all key regulatory approvals to be completed during 2013, the company will be working with farmers and the grain trade to assist in identifying domestic markets until all such approvals are received.

Agribusiness, Corn

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    NCGA’s Request for RFA Waiver Comment Period Extension Granted

    Joanna Schroeder

    In response to a request by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a 15 day extension of the comment period on the requests for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). NCGA filed for an extension on August 30, 2012 and applauded EPA’s decision. The waiver was requested so corn growers and other energy crop farmers had a chance to participate more fully in the process. This will also enable the EPA to have a more accurate picture of the year’s final corn supply.

    “We are pleased to see the EPA take this important action to help ensure that the process outlined in the Renewable Fuel Standard moves forward in a thoughtful, analytical fashion,” said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer. “This extension will allow our farmers, who are currently harvesting the crop, to participate more fully and for a more accurate assessment of the final corn supply to emerge.”

    In its weekly crop progress report issued yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 15 percent of the nation’s corn has been harvested – triple the five-year average at this point in time. The reason is the impact of this year’s devastating drought and the recognition that farmers won’t gain much by delaying their corn harvest. Tomorrow the USDA will be releasing its monthly production and supply-and-demand reports.

    The comment period was originally scheduled to close at the end of September, but will now remain open until October 11, 2012. During a previous comment period in 2008 for a partial waiver of the RFS, EPA received more than 15,000 submissions from throughout the country.

    Biofuels, Corn, NCGA

    STAR Energy Making Fuel Tanks Sparkle

    Cindy Zimmerman

    A dirty tank can make even the best of fuel less than optimum, which is why GROWMARK STAR energy was demonstrating a high efficiency fuel tank cleaning process at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.

    Curt Snyder with STAR Energy demonstrated the cleaner, which can run in any size tank from 500-1000 gallons. “It has a pressurized nozzle that sprays throughout the tank, scours it inside. Meanwhile, in the back, it’s sucking up the fuel and running it through our filtering system to take out all the impurities,” he explained. “We’re able to get down to even the smallest pieces of sand.”

    Curt says it’s good to go into harvest season with a clean tank. “It’s very important that we don’t get any grit from an old tank into your fuel system,” he said, noting that growers at the Farm Progress Show showed a lot of interest in the tank cleaning process that many did not even know existed. He said that more information is available from STAR Energy in Iowa or any FS fuel delivery service.

    Watch Curt demo the tank cleaner in this video:

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Farm Progress Show, Farming, GROWMARK, Video