ASTA Members Hear from House Ag Leaders

Cindy Zimmerman

Members of the American Seed Trade Association were on Capitol Hill today getting updates on farm legislation from Congressional leaders, including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN).

Chuck was there with them today during a busy day for progress on the 2012 Farm Bill, with the Senate whipping through amendments at lightning speed. “I hope it passes,” Rep. Lucas said about the Senate bill during an interview with Chuck. “I need a Senate bill to pass so I can complete my work in the House so we can ultimately wind up in a conference committee and work out our differences.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Lucas here: Rep. Frank Lucas interview

The House agriculture committee had hoped to mark up their version of the farm bill next week, but that will now wait until after the July 4 recess since floor debate is scheduled next week on the Agriculture Department appropriations bill that touches on farm programs. “We’re ready to mark up, it’s just a question of timing over here,” said Rep. Peterson, pictured here with ASTA members from his home state. “It looks like an easier process than I had to deal with in ’08.”

Peterson says his biggest concerns with the Senate bill are in the commodity title and food stamps but he is pleased with dairy and conservation provisions that have been included.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Peterson here: Rep. Collin Peterson interview

2012 ASTA Convention Photo Album

ASTA, Audio, Farm Bill

Majority of Businesses Know Nothing of Pinterest

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Does Your Business Have an Interest in Pinterest?”

Our poll results: Thirty-one percent said Yes, part of our marketing plan or just figuring it out; thirty-one percent said No, no application for us; and thirty-eight percent knew nothing about Pinterest.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Will you buy E15 for your MY2001 or later car if it’s offered?” The EPA has given its approval for the first retailers to sell 15% ethanol blended fuel. E15 is a legal fuel for sale to cars, pickups and SUVs made since 2001. Here’s some more background on E15. Sales could start this week in Iowa, Illinois and/or Kansas. What do you think?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Zidua Herbicide Receives Federal Registration

Melissa Sandfort

Corn growers battling tough-to-control, small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses will have a powerful new tool, as BASF Crop Protection announced the federal registration of Zidua herbicide. Future registrations for use in soybean and wheat are anticipated in early 2013.

According to 10 years of research and field trials, the residual weed control provided by Zidua lasts up to two weeks longer than other herbicides currently on the market – which helps protect growers’ yield potential. Research also shows that Zidua provides up to 10 percent better performance than other residual herbicides in controlling Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.

Nine states in the South have already reported resistant Palmer amaranth, and herbicide options for control have become increasingly limited. Meanwhile, glyphosate-resistant waterhemp is continuing to spread across the country. Of the 10 states that have now confirmed glyphosate-resistant waterhemp, three have waterhemp populations with resistance to multiple sites of action.

Listen to BASF Herbicide Technical Market Manager Luke Bozeman explain more about Zidua.

BASF, Corn, weed management

Michele Payn-Knoper Speaking at Women in Ag

Melissa Sandfort

With unmatched passion and commitment to helping people understand the path from farm gate to the consumer plate, keynote speaker Michele Payn-Knoper will inspire the audience to build connected communities in the industry at the debut of the Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans, Sept. 16-17.

Under the direction of Frances Pratt, co-chairwoman and event director from conference host company HighQuest Partners, the Women in Agribusiness Summit will bring together an unparalleled cross-section of women from the agribusiness and food production sectors.

At this dynamic event, attendees will gain superior industry knowledge from highly successful stakeholders, share in professional and career path development opportunities, create key relationships with like-minded professionals in the sector, and promote the agribusiness industry to the next generation of women.

Payn-Knoper will address this extraordinary group on how to lead through the significant changes facing agriculture in the 21st century by relaying poignant moments, not only from her years of experience helping farmers in over 25 countries build connections that impact the future of agriculture, but from her years growing up on a farm.

Agribusiness, Events

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Beef Today announces the launch of its Beef Today Cattle-Exchange (BTC-E) eNewsletter, which combines the current Beef Today Cattle Drive eNewsletter and Cattle-Exchange Reports.
  • Broadhead was recently awarded a contract to raise awareness of the invasive species known as the emerald ash borer.
  • A rapidly expanding global business has led to major organizational leadership changes for Becker Underwood’s corporate executive team and North American business unit.
  • The Agriculture Council of America will host National Agriculture Day on March 19, 2013 with the theme “Generations Nourishing Generations.”
    Zimfo Bytes

    Farm Foundation to Host Long-Term Drought Forum

    John Davis

    With half the country under abnormally dry condition, our friends at Farm Foundation have scheduled another one of their free forums… this time on how long-term drought conditions impact regional and national agricultural production and food systems.

    The forum will be held on June 27th, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. It will include presentations by Matthew Rosencrans of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Jay Armstrong of Armstrong Farms, Kansas; Kitty Smith of American Farmland Trust; and David Anderson of Texas A&M University. An open discussion will follow.

    As I said, the forum is free, but they do ask that you register in advance by noon, Monday, June 25. Email julie@farmfoundation.org to save your spot. But if you can’t attend in person, you can catch up on what was said on the Farm Foundation website.

    Farm Foundation

    New Mississippi River Basin Conservation Projects

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Today Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $8.4 million in financial assistance is available to support 23 new partnership projects in several Mississippi River Basin states under USDA’s Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). On the phone with reporters to talk about it this morning was NRCS Chief David White, seen here talking with participants in the recent Conservation in Action Tour conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center.

    These projects will fund producer activities that will avoid, control and trap sediment and nutrient runoff from agricultural lands, improving water quality throughout their operations.

    “We are building on our Mississippi River actions from previous years by continuing to target priority conservation practices in priority watersheds to improve water quality in the basin,” Vilsack said. “USDA is committed to working cooperatively with agricultural producers, partner organizations and state and local agencies to improve water quality and the quality of life for the millions of people who live in the Mississippi River Basin.”

    The MRBI was first announced in September 2009 and provides financial assistance for voluntary projects in priority watersheds in Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

    I asked Chief White how well these partnerships are working after he saw some of them “in action” recently. He pointed to one of the farms we visited that is using two stage irrigation ditches which is one of the projects previously funded by USDA-NRCS in 2011. He says they hope to expand that practice to other areas. He also mentioned being impressed by the younger farmers who were on the tour and making conservation work, including financially. He says, “We can have conservation in harmony with agricultural production and we’re going to prove that.”

    Listen to my Q&A with David here: Q&A With NRCS Chief David White

    Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation, CTIC, USDA

    Senate Cuts Farm Bill Amendments

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The number of proposed amendments to the Senate farm bill shrank from nearly 300 to 73 yesterday as senators struck a deal to get debate back on track.

    “This is not a great agreement, but it’s a good agreement,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announcing the deal late last night.

    The good news is that the “rotten egg amendment” offered by Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) did not make the cut. Sen. DeMint’s (R-SC) amendment that would make mandatory checkoff programs voluntary is on the list, along with Sen. Johanns (R-NE) measure that would stop EPA from making aerial inspections of agricultural operations. Other important amendments to be considered concern crop insurance, the dairy program, energy title, Market Access Program, payment limitations, food assistance programs, conservation and broadband funding.

    Votes on the chosen amendments are expected to start this afternoon.

    Farm Bill

    BASF Plant Health Alive and Well in Canada

    John Davis

    There were a good number of agricultural journalists from Canada at the recent BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit in Chicago, which highlighted both the differences and the similarities in the crop protection market compared to the U.S.

    One of the breakout panels for Canadian agriculture journalists at the event featured Canadian farmer Wayne Black, director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Senator JoAnn Buth of the Conservative Party of Canada and BASF Business Director for Canada Crop Protection Scott Kay, who was pleased with the turnout at the event. “Plant health is alive and well in Canada and we have no where to go but up,” Scott said during an interview at the conclusion of the summit.

    Scott came to Canada by way of Iowa, where he worked as a BASF representative, so he has perspective from both sides of the border.

    “We trade for a few more letters beyond corn, when it comes to where Headline [fungicide] fits,” said Scott. “We put Headline on canola, but it’s managed in a similar manner as corn is here in the U.S.” Scott says they are really just getting started with plant health in canola, expecting the number of acres that were sprayed with Headline last year to go from just shy of a million acres to twice that much next year.

    Scott says BASF is pro-actively working with producers and consumers in Canada on sustainability issues.

    Listen to Cindy’s interview with Scott here:
    Scott Kay, BASF Business Director, Canada Crop Protection

    Photos from BASF Ag Media Summit

    Audio, BASF

    Record-Setting World Pork Expo

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The 2012 World Pork Expo was another one for the record books.

    The Expo set records for the number of pigs in the Junior National show and the quantity of meals served at the Big Grill, and featured the creation of the world’s largest pork burger during its well-attended MusicFest.

    The WPX Junior National broke another record for the number of pigs exhibited in the pedigreed barrow and gilt shows hosted by the National Junior Swine Association and Team Purebred. More than 700 junior exhibitors from 26 states competed with 2,177 head, a 25 percent increase from 2011.

    The Expo set another record by grilling the world’s largest pork burger, made with 260 pounds of pork and a 40-pound bun. Sponsors Hog Slat, Newton Grove, N.C., and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) donated half of the pork burger to be served as pork sandwiches in Des Moines-area homeless shelters; the rest was enjoyed by Expo-goers during MusicFest.

    “I appreciated the record-breaking pork burger, which was made possible by a company from my home state of North Carolina and used to help reduce hunger in central Iowa” said NPPC president R.C. Hunt of Wilson, N.C. “I also was impressed with the time both Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds spent with producers at Expo. It is very special to have this type of support for the work we do as pork producers.”

    The expo attracted nearly 20,000 pork producers and industry leaders from 38 countries to Des Moines, Iowa, for the world’s largest pork-specific trade show with more than 400 exhibitors. We appreciate the sponsorship of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica for making our coverage of the 2012 World Pork Expo possible.


    2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

    Boehringer Ingelheim, NPPC, World Pork Expo