Precision Ag News 12/14

Carrie Muehling

  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing an additional $325 million for 71 projects under the second funding pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities effort, bringing the total investment from both funding pools to over $3.1 billion for 141 tentatively selected projects.
  • Due to its achievements in digital transformation, Ceres Solutions has been named the 2022 recipient of The Scoop’s Business Innovation Award, sponsored by EFC Systems by Ever.Ag. The award was presented at the Agricultural Retailers Association Conference and Expo on Dec. 1 in San Diego.
  • CNH Industrial unveiled the next step in alternative power for agriculture at its Tech Day event in Phoenix, Arizona. New Holland Agriculture, one of our global agricultural brands, presented the T7 Methane Power LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) pre-production prototype tractor.
  • Results are in for World Ag Expo’s 2023 Top-10 New Products Competition. The winners will be showcased February 14-16, 2023 during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.
  • JUA Technologies International, an agriculture technology startup that manufactures solar-powered crop dehydrators, has received a two-year, $600,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to further develop its technology.
  • ExoPolymer, Inc., a winner of the Consider Corn Challenge II, recently announced a new partnership with CP Kelco, which takes ExoPolymer’s technology one step closer to commercialization. The partnership with CP Kelco will help ExoPolymer scale up production of a polysaccharide-based biopolymer. ExoPolymer is creating a new profile of customizable, polysaccharide-based hydrocolloids that are domestically produced by microbial fermentation using corn sugar as a feedstock.
  • Combine harvester sales remain positive, joined by 4WD units for both the U.S. and Canadian markets, while total tractors fell in both countries according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Total U.S. ag equipment unit sales fell overall, though the largest units grew. U.S. total farm tractor sales fell 20.8 percent for the month of November compared to 2021, with the sub-40hp segment leading losses at 27.9 percent.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

ZimmCast 703 – Introducing AgriCap Group, LLC

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.

As you know, our theme here on AgWired has always been, “What’s new in the world of agribusiness.” And in this program we’re going to learn about a relatively new way for farmers, ag processors and cooperatives to have more control over their own risk protection. There is more to the story in my interview with Dennis Daggett, a partner with AgriCap Group, LLC out of Minnesota. We had a great conversation during the recent AgGateway Annual Meeting.

Dennis DaggettOur team has cultivated relationships with top insurance companies to develop unique and cost-effective insurance solutions. By bringing together top re-insurers, captive insurance managers, and service providers we help farmers, ag processors and cooperatives retain the investment and tax advantages being lost to commercial insurance companies.

We are experienced professionals with a ‘hands-on’ approach to Ag Risk Management and Protection. Our reinsurers have earned an ‘Excellent’ rating from A.M. Best for over 50 years. This rating proves that they have the financial strength to pay your claims and give you peace of mind when you need it most.

So, listen in as Dennis tells us all about AgriCap and how farmers and their ag partners can find out more.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 703 - Introducing AgriCap Group, LLC (20:54)

Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Insurance, Insurance, ZimmCast

Truterra and SWCS Research Shows Cover Crops’ Value

Cindy Zimmerman

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., and the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) have just announced preliminary findings from the first of a three-year on-farm trial to evaluate the use of cover crops to build soil health, reduce erosion, sequester carbon and improve return on investment. The research was conducted across more than 2,400 acres in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Key findings from the first year of the trial include:
 
· Trial acres were net carbon negative, sequestering nearly three times as much greenhouse gas than check fields without cover crops emitted, on average;
·  Sheet and rill erosion was cut in half and wind erosion was reduced by nearly three quarters (72%); and
·  Analytics from the Truterra sustainability tool, which quantifies trial participants’ stewardship actions, found that cover-cropped fields showed an average improvement of 8 points to their sustainability score. The 0-100 scale looks at overall sustainability of the field; the higher the number the better.

The trial is part of a $1.5 million USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant On-Farm Trials (CIG-OFT) awarded in 2019 and is being conducted in partnership with Truterra-aligned retailer cooperatives Alliance Ag and Grain, Frontier Cooperative and Heartland Cooperative. Participating farmers and retailers use the Truterra™ sustainability tool to measure the performance of trial acres that implemented cover crops against the performance of a non-cover cropped control group. Participating farmers are also receiving scientific support through SWCS to help evaluate environmental outcomes, giving them the information needed to consider adopting these regenerative practices more widely across their operations in the future.

AgWired Precision, carbon, Conservation, cover crops, Soil, Water

Announcing the Alltech ONE World Tour 2023

Cindy Zimmerman

The Alltech ONE Conference is coming to a country near you in 2023.

Alltech is transforming its annual Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) in 2023 into a series of international events that will invite collaboration on the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry. Instead of welcoming the world to Alltech’s home in Lexington, Kentucky, as it has for the past 38 years, the Alltech ONE World Tour will bring the ideas and inspiration of the ONE Conference to communities throughout the world.

Stops are planned in Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Middle East the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United States and Vietnam, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE and to hear from experts on trending topics in the agriculture industry. Additional stops are expected to be announced in 2023.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE will endeavor to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Health, International

Animal Ag News 12/12

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council is pleased to announce that Julie Schwalbe has accepted the director of industry resource development position for the National Pork Producers Council. Schwalbe will oversee the Pork Alliance membership retention and recruitment, serve as a member of the World Pork Expo team, assist with raising Pork PAC funding and attract revenue from sponsorships thru business development.
  • The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently announced that it has extended the enrollment and coverage election period for 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) to Jan. 31, 2023. The program’s previous deadline was Dec. 9, 2022.
  • At the annual Celebration of Dairy event held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., recognized Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator John Thune of South Dakota, Congressman John Garamendi of California, Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Mr. Daniel Maffei, and Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Mr. Frank Yiannas of the Food and Drug Administration, with the IDFA Leadership Award.
  • Ralco has announced the expansion of their poultry line with Essential Dry XP, a litter treatment for targeted ammonia control. Essential Dry XP contains diatomaceous earth (DE), yucca schidigera and patented essential oils and is OMRI Listed for organic production.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the release of a final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stand up the Cattle Contract Library Pilot Program. This program was authorized following NCBA’s engagement with Congress on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
  • The U.S. is facing an alarming shortfall of veterinarians to treat livestock and poultry in rural areas, threatening public health, food safety, and economic growth in communities that depend on agriculture, according to a new report commissioned by Farm Journal Foundation.
  • Vytelle announced the relocation of their global headquarters from Hermiston, Oregon to Lenexa, Kansas effective immediately. Kansas City – located 25 minutes from the Vytelle’s new global headquarters – is home to largest concentration of industry professionals devoted to the health, well-being, and genetic progress of animals.
  • The Heart of America Grazing Conference will take place Feb. 20-21 at the Ferdinand Community Center in Ferdinand, Indiana. Hosted by the Indiana Forage Council, with input from Purdue Extension, the annual event will feature forage and grazing experts from across the nation.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

#ASTACSS Looks at Political Lay of the Land

Cindy Zimmerman

L-R: Davie Stephens, Mary Kay Thatcher, Karis Gutter, Jon Doggett

The closing panel before the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS & Seed Expo 2022 bid farewell to Chicago last week took a look at the political lay of the land with some industry experts offering insights into what the midterm elections mean for agriculture and the impacts of the new Farm Bill.

The panel was moderated by ASTA Senior Director of Government Affairs Janae Brady and featured Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta; Karis Gutter, Corteva Agriscience; Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association; and Kentucky farmer and past chair of the American Soybean Association Davie Stephens.

Brady says major current issues for ASTA include climate, competition, intellectual property rights, trade, supply chain, and the bioeconomy, but most important in the coming year will be the farm bill. “ASTA was directly involved in the 2018 Farm Bill getting policies in place that impact the industry, particularly in the research title,” she said, noting that ASTA is already providing input on the upcoming farm bill discussions, providing testimony last week at a Senate Agriculture committee hearing.

Lots more in the conversation from different perspectives:
ASTACSS Political Lay of the Land panel 47:48

Doggett, who is retiring as CEO of NCGA at the end of the year after more than 20 years with the organization, lamented the ability of Congress to even do basic tasks like pass spending bills on time. “The House and Senate ag committees are the last bastions of bipartisanship in Washington DC and that is eroding,” said Doggett. “A Congress that can go ahead and blow off the deadlines for spending bills and not deal with really important things that effect millions of Americans…what are they going to do with a farm bill when things get more and more contentious.”

Chuck talked with Jon a little bit about his career on Capitol Hill for the past 34 years as he prepares to move on to whatever comes next.
ASTACSS Interview with Jon Doggett, NCGA 6:06

2022 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Photo Album

Find more audio from ASTACSS in the virtual newsroom for the event

Ag Groups, ASTA, Audio, Corn, NCGA, politics, Syngenta

#ASTACSS Says Farewell Chicago and Hello Orlando

Cindy Zimmerman

When the American Seed Trade Association moves its annual December meeting and expo to Orlando next year, it will be a whole new world for attendees, with not only a new location but a new name.

“It’s going to be our ASTA Field Crop Seed Conference,” said ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne. “It really does cover all field crops, not just corn, soybeans and sorghum.”

Corn, soybeans and sorghum is what the CSS has stood for, but ASTA Chair Jim Schweigert with Gro Alliance says the conference has grown beyond that. “The diversity of the seed industry continues to expand and grow,” said Schweigert. “We wanted to make it more inclusive.”

The final swan song for ASTA in Chicago this week was definitely one everyone will remember after 77 years of holding this event in Chicago, and the past 45 years at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Listen to wrap up interviews with LaVigne and Schweigert below:
ASTA Chair Jim Schweigert, Gro Alliance 10:12

ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne 2:17

2022 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Photo Album

Find more audio from ASTACSS in the virtual newsroom for the event

ASTA, Audio, Seed

Industry Ag News 12/9

Carrie Muehling

  • The House Republican Steering Committee elected Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) as Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress. Mr. Thompson will be the first Chairman from Pennsylvania in nearly 170 years.
  • The introduction of Aerobotics Crop Insurance Services, a new crop insurance agency, was announced by the company. The company will employ artificial intelligence to create extremely precise crop insurance plans for producers of perennial crops, a significant first for the crop insurance industry.
  • During its annual meeting in St. Louis, the American Soybean Association elected the leaders who will guide the organization through the coming year’s top advocacy priorities, including the much-anticipated 2023 Farm Bill, among other policy issues. Daryl Cates of Illinois, who previously served as ASA vice president, will serve as 2023 ASA president.
  • Labor demands continue to tax the bottom lines of farmers and ranchers, with rising wage rates and record usage of the H-2A visa program. Meaningful reforms to the federal government’s guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year. The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with more than 350 other food and farm organizations that are part of the Ag Workforce Coalition, sent a letter urging the Senate to pass legislation to address the nation’s agricultural workforce challenges before the end of the 117th Congress. The House of Representatives has passed a farm labor reform bill, but the legislation needs improvements to adequately address pressing needs facing agriculture.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and Corteva Agriscience have launched applications for the 2023 IFAJ/Corteva Master Class to be held in Alberta, Canada from June 24-26, 2023. Application deadline is December 14, 2022.
  • MorganMyers announces the addition of two accomplished communicators who will deepen the company’s agricultural and digital capabilities to serve its growing client base. Greg Ehm joins the company as senior counselor while Alex Blake will serve as senior digital strategist.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission hosted a photo contest throughout 2022 to fill the pages of the 2023 Georgia Peanut Calendar, “The Farm – Best Home of the Family.” Peanut farmers from across Georgia were encouraged to submit their best, high-resolution photo of families on the farm for a chance to feature the photo in the 2023 calendar. More than 30 entries were submitted from across the peanut belt and only 12 were selected as a monthly feature.
  • The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture announced the hiring of Stephanie McBath as Associate Director of Public Policy and Josie Montoney-Crawford as Manager of Public Policy.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced Julie Busse has accepted the role of Director of Renewable Fuels. In her new position, Busse will serve as lead staff for the Ethanol Action Team (ETHAT) driving the organization’s ethanol related development, promotion, research, and education efforts.
  • USDA MiCa, USDA Dint and USDA Klondike, the first winter pea cultivars specifically developed to be used whole or as an ingredient in human food, have been released by the Agricultural Research Service.
  • AgCareers.com awarded their first-ever U.S. Feed Your Future Scholarship to Lindsay Mikell, a student at the University of Florida. Mikell is co-enrolled in the University of Florida’s Doctor of Plant Medicine program and Master’s in Environmental Horticulture.
  • The 2023 Golden ARC Awards Contest is open. Deadline to enter is April 14, 2023. Entries for the 2023 contest must include public relations activities conducted in full or in part during 2022. Members of the Agricultural Relations Council and non-members may enter the Golden ARC Awards. Each first entry for a non-ARC member will include the registration fee for an individual to become an ARC member. Entrants may be individuals and/or teams.
  • Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board (USB) elected Meagan Kaiser from Missouri as 2023 Chair and nine additional farmer-leaders to serve on the Executive Committee during the USB December Meeting in St. Charles, Missouri.
Zimfo Bytes

Seed Industry and Sustainability Demands at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman

Wednesday’s general session at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo on Wednesday focused on the opportunities and challenges for the Seed Industry and Sustainability Demands.

Tristan Brown with the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Kerry Trombley of Marathon Petroleum, and Honeywell’s Kevin O’Neil discussed how governments and corporations are increasingly leading with climate-smart and sustainability initiatives and what impact those initiatives may have on supply chain and standardization.

Listen to their remarks:
ASTACSS remarks Tristan Brown, SUNY College 20:44

ASTACSS remarks Kerry Trombley, Marathon Petroleum 19:49

ASTACSS remarks Kevin O'Neil, Honeywell UOP 14:27

2022 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Photo Album

Find more audio from ASTACSS in the virtual newsroom for the event

ASTA, Audio, Biofuels, carbon, Seed, Soil, Sustainability

ASTA Witness Testifies on Farm Bill Research Programs

Cindy Zimmerman

*POST UPDATED WITH AUDIO*

Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony from Dr. Katy Martin Rainey, Associate Professor, Agronomy, Purdue University, on behalf of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) during a hearing Tuesday on “Farm Bill 2023: Research Programs.” Rainey spoke to the foundational role of agriculture research in the 2023 Farm Bill in ensuring a secure agricultural production and food system, which starts with quality seed.

“Strong federal investment in agriculture research—leveraged through effective public-private partnerships– is vital to ensuring the success of U.S. farmers in the face of a complex array of emerging challenges,” stressed Rainey. “We rely on the support of Farm Bill funding and programs to ensure continued U.S. leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world.”

Rainey emphasized the importance of Farm Bill research programs for the seed industry. Continued investment and support for these programs, including the National Plant Germplasm System, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA), are priorities in the next Farm Bill reauthorization. “As we deal with the challenges of feeding a growing population, all of these programs have unique roles creating solutions for a more secure and sustainable future, while keeping the U.S. competitive globally,” she said.

Rainey underscored the role of emerging innovations in crop improvement, made possible by long-term, sustained investments in ag research, in supporting farmers’ successful use of conservation practices. “Breeding will bolster practices for climate adaptation and mitigation, soil health and habitat restoration, such as cover crops, while also benefiting farm productivity,” she said. “This includes the exploration of new and emerging tools like gene editing, which has the potential to unlock new capabilities in plants, thanks to robust private and public sector R&D investments over time.”

Rainey will be in Chicago today to join her colleagues at the ASTA CSS and Seed Expo.

Listen to Dr. Rainey’s testimony here:
Dr. Kaity Martin Rainey testimony 5:59

Interview with Kaity Martin Rainey from ASTACSS
ASTACSS Kaity Rainey interview 8:42

2022 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Photo Album

Find more audio from ASTACSS in the virtual newsroom for the event

ASTA, Audio, Farm Bill, Research