From Arkansas Farm to BASF Weed Control Expert

Cindy Zimmerman

We have interviewed Dr. Dan Westberg many times over the past several years about BASF Crop Protection products, particularly his work with Kixor herbicide technology. But, we took a few minutes to get to know dapper “Dr. Dan” a little better at this year’s Commodity Classic.

Dan’s interest in weeds goes back to his roots. “I grew up on a small farm in northwest Arkansas and I started to work when I was in college at the (University of Arkansas) Altheimer lab with the weed science group,” Dan said. “So I got very interested in weed science and controlling weeds in row crops and helping growers solve the problems that they had.” He got his Masters in Weed Science at Arkansas and his PhD from North Carolina State University and then took a field position with Sandoz.

He joined BASF 21 years ago when the company bought the Sandoz corn business, and that allowed young Dr. Westberg to see the world. “For the first couple of years I got to travel internationally to develop markets outside of the U.S.,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to visit Brazil, Argentina, virtually every country in Europe, particularly France and Germany.”

In 2002, Dan became responsible for the global development of Kixor herbicide technology and was able to play a role in its launch. “You don’t get the opportunity more than once in a career to work from start to finish with an active ingredient, so it’s been really rewarding,” he said.

Now the weed control expert’s big focus is on helping farmers fight glyphosate resistant weeds. “Glyphosate-resistant Palmer Ameranth has really taken over the mid-south and the southeast to the point that growers are losing some of their fields to this weed,” he said. “And this last year in 2011 was a tipping point for waterhemp in many areas of the Midwest. Certainly the southern third to half of Illinois and Missouri are probably already there with the level of problems that they have with waterhemp and it’s something that we need to start dealing with proactively.”

BASF has a number of tools in its herbicide portfolio to deal with problem weeds. “It actually represents ten different sites of action that we can bring to bear on these weed populations. It’s the most that anybody has in the country,” Dan says, noting that they can tailor specific programs to different areas of the country. BASF’s pre- and post-emergence products include Verdict, Status, Op-Till Pro, and Armezon – among others.

Learn more about Dr. Dan Westberg and BASF herbicides in this interview: BASF's Dr. Dan Westberg

Audio, BASF

Domestic Wine and Sweet Tea Vodka

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 345Just wanting to get back to the land was a desire that led Ann and Jim Irvin to a piece of property near Charleston, SC that is now home to Irvin~House Vineyard and the Firefly Distillery. This was one of the tour stops for the Agricultural Relations Council annual meeting crew. We spent several enjoyable hours there doing some wine tasting as well as sampling some Firefly.

I visited with Ann Irvin to learn how they got this beautiful place started. Ann says she grew up on a farm and wanted to get back to that lifestyle. At first they were just interested in having a place to go and have a garden. But they found a larger piece of property and after a drive through central Florida where they stopped at a winery they got the idea to start their own winery. They grow their own grapes and have learned along the way.

Irvin~House Vineyards is the only domestic winery in Charleston, SC. We grow the grapes, harvest them, make the wine, and bottle our wines on the property.

There is nothing quite like a stroll through our vineyards and the surrounding property. A large pond stocked with fish. Walking trails. Abundant birds and wildlife scampering about. Old oak trees with Spanish Moss shading the property. This is the true character of South Carolina’s Lowcountry hertitage.

Even the grapes we grow have Southern roots. Our wines are hand-crafted from the humble muscadine grape . This sweet grape with a fruity aroma grows practically everywhere in the South. People tell us how the taste of muscadines transport them back to their childhood.

In addition to the winery, the Irvins also work with a local tea plantation to make the first ever hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka called Firefly.

The Firefly Distillery is located on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, 30 miles south of Charleston. We don’t have the bright lights of the big cities. The pace is a little slower down here. We have plantations, hundred-year-old oak trees and dirt roads. Everyone is your neighbor and folks enjoy relaxing on the front porch swing, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It’s where you can hear the crickets chirping at night and you can still see the fireflies light up the sky. It was this wonderful environment and the special ingredients found right in our own backyard that inspired us to created handcrafted vodkas unlike those made anywhere else.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: The Irvin~House Vineyard

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Ag Groups, ARC, Audio, Farming, ZimmCast

Save the Date for Classic 2013

Cindy Zimmerman

Not too early to start thinking ahead to the 2013 Commodity Classic – especially since this year was such a record-setter!

commodity classicBuilding upon record-breaking numbers in 2012, next year’s event, scheduled for February 28 through March 2 in sunny Kissimmee, Florida, promises to be a winner.

“There is already a great buzz building for next year’s trade show,” said 2013 Commodity Classic Co-Chair Mark Schwiebert. “Last week, our committee traveled to Kissimmee to tour the facilities, which I can guarantee are top-notch. With another broad offering of learning opportunities, a continually evolving tradeshow and the incredible Florida weather, we are on track for another year of helping farmers find the technologies, acquire the knowledge and build the relationships that will kick off another successful year.”

The 2012 Commodity Classic surpassed all previous turnout records with a total of 6,014 attendees, representing a 25 percent increase from last year’s record of 4,826 attendees. Once again, farm families comprised more than half of the participants, with 3,505 growers, spouses and children attending.

“We broke records in every category,” said immediate past Commodity Classic Co-Chair Martin Barbre. “However, the most exciting number was beating last year’s record of first-time attendees by 48 percent. It was very gratifying to see that Commodity Classic’s appeal continues to grow, and I look forward to seeing it continue this tradition of excellence in Kissimmee next year.”

Commodity Classic is presented annually by the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Sorghum Producers.

Commodity Classic

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

BASF and NAAA Support Operation S.A.F.E Again

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF and the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) are teaming up again for another year of Operation S.A.F.E. (Self-regulating Application and Flight Efficiency).

Through this partnership, BASF provides financial support for participating aerial applicators through sponsorship of fly-ins throughout the country. NAAA members also qualify for application equipment rebates as part of Operation S.A.F.E., which provides aerial applicators an opportunity to increase equipment performance, applicator knowledge and help ensure safety.

“We’ve had more than 1,250 aerial applicators participate in nearly 150 fly-ins throughout the country during the three years our Operation S.A.F.E. incentive program has been in effect,” said Tony Goede, Aerial Manager, BASF. “BASF continues this partnership with NAAA to help the aerial application industry continue to be safe, efficient and effective.”

Any operator or pilot can participate in an Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in clinic. Those who are NAAA members can take advantage of the BASF Equipment and NAAA Membership Rebate Program. NAAA member participants wishing to collect the rebate are required to partake in a calibration clinic, and subsequently complete the BASF and NAAA Operation S.A.F.E. Incentive Program application form. After completing these steps, the operator or pilot can be reimbursed for some of their 2012 membership dues or submit receipts to receive rebates for nozzles and/or tips purchased for their aircraft.

“BASF is steadfast in its commitment to help grow the ag aviation industry, as demonstrated by their generous support of NAAA once again,” said Andrew Moore, Executive Director of NAAA. “We’re grateful for their partnership and for making these incentives available to encourage the most effective, targeted application and increased safety.”

More information about Operation S.A.F.E., including dates of fly-ins as they are scheduled, is available on the NAAA website. Visit BASF’s plant-health-pilots.com for a variety of resources BASF provides aerial applicators, including an “Ask the Expert” section for your toughest aerial application questions.

BASF, NAAA

Positive Outlook from AgCareers.com

Cindy Zimmerman

An analysis of 2011 trends from AgCareers.com yields a positive outlook for the agriculture industry in North American. AgCareers.com found that agriculture companies are anticipating gains, rewarding employees and looking to fill job openings with qualified talent.

The AgCareers.com newly published 2011 U.S. Agribusiness Job Report and 2011 Canadian Agribusiness Job Report found that job postings were up significantly from 2010, demonstrating the strength of the agriculture industry.

Jobs posted on AgCareers.com in 2011 included agronomy, crop protection/chemicals, biotechnology, dairy, and equipment/machinery, with a wide variety of career types, from manager to technician. The number of jobs posted in North America grew by 18% with over 43,000 jobs posted by companies in the United States and Canada in 2011. There were more than 26,000 jobs posted in the Midwest region of the United States (highest posting region on AgCareers.com). The largest number of applicants also came from the Midwest region.

This is the fourth year AgCareers.com has published the Agribusiness Job Report. The report contains information based on an analysis of jobs posted on AgCareers.com, job seeker activity on AgCareers.com, and insight from the employers using our services.

Coming up this summer, AgCareers.com will celebrate 10 years of the AgCareers.com Ag HR Roundtable with the event being hosted this year by Tyson Foods in Springdale, AR. The 10th annual Roundtable will be held August 7 – 9, 2012. The Roundtable is an annual conference that brings together human resource professionals, managers, university/college career services staff, and association representatives within the agribusiness industry to discuss high interest issues in recruitment and retention. At last year’s event, covered here on AgWired, they had a record high attendance of more than 190 participants from across North America.

We’ll be there – will you?

AgCareers

Donating Eggs for Easter Again

Chuck Zimmerman

I wonder how long it would take to crack 10 million fresh eggs. A long time for one person that’s for sure. That’s how many eggs that are being donated again this year by America’s egg farmers. The Easter bunny is getting a helping hand from United Egg Producers. The eggs are being donated to Feeding America’s 78 food banks in 40 states.

This is the 5th year of the program. The total is now almost 5 million dozen eggs donated! We’re going to do our part this weekend to support America’s egg farmers in our household. Colored eggs or not, we love eggs!

“If you’ve ever met an egg farmer, you know just how incredibly generous and giving these men and women are,” said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers. “All year long, but especially at Easter, they proudly do what they can to support the communities in which they live and work.”

For food banks across America, high quality sources of protein, such as eggs, are especially needed and valued. According to the USDA, one large egg delivers six grams of protein, along with 13 essential nutrients, including choline, folate, iron and zinc. After a review of the nutrient composition of standard large eggs last year, USDA concluded that the average amount of cholesterol was 14 percent lower, and vitamin D content was 64 percent higher, than previously measured.

“It’s no longer just unemployed people who seek out help from their local food banks,” explained Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “More than ever, we’re working with people who just can’t make ends meet and need help feeding themselves and their families.”

Ag Groups, Food, Poultry

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Diamond V announced the hiring of Mark Upton as National Accounts Manager.
  • Agri-Inject, Inc., announced that Erik Tribelhorn has returned to the company as chief executive officer and Neal Saxton has been named Director of Global Sales.
  • Redesigned for easier navigation, www.corntechconf.org offers the quickest, simplest way to keep abreast of developments as the 2012 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference approaches.
  • Please mark your calendars for July 19 for the FOOD & AGRICULTURE 2012 NATIONAL CONFERENCE which brings together national industry leaders, in-house counsel, business executives and regulatory representatives. To be added to the invitation list, please contact us at events@FaegreBD.com.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Protect The Harvest Video

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Are you familiar with Protect the Harvest? Just received a press release from them about the video below. I sure understand their message but wish there was more information on who they are.

    “Protect The Harvest” released a controversial web video entitled “The Humane Society’s Rotten Eggs,” adding its voice to the growing outcry against the attempts by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to enact dangerous new federal restrictions on egg farmers.

    “Enough is enough,” declared Erik Helland, a Protect The Harvest board member. “It’s clear that HSUS cares less about protecting chickens from inhumane treatment and more about making it impossible to produce eggs or raise poultry in America. If Americans aren’t careful, HSUS will succeed in pricing eggs out of the market for most U.S. families while putting countless farmers out of business.”

    The two minute animated video details the continuing efforts by HSUS to control America’s egg farmers that began with California’s Proposition 2 campaign in 2008 and have now reached Congress with H.R. 3798. The video explores the impact these proposals by HSUS will have on the economy and the food supply.

    Ag Groups, Animal Activists, Video, Wackos

    First USDA Twitter Chat

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Tomorrow at 1:30pm EDT, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will hold the first “USDA Virtual Office Hours on Twitter.” Most of you probably know how this works, especially if you’ve been a participant in AgChat. I’d recommend using TweetChat, Twubs or an app like TweetDeck or HootSuite to follow along. It looks like these planned monthly sessions will focus on different topics. Tomorrow it’s renewable energy. You’re asked to submit your questions via Twitter to either @USDA or #askUSDA.

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will sit down to answer YOUR questions on the Department’s renewable energy programs, and how USDA is helping build a secure energy future for America. He will be joined by Sarah Bittleman, USDA Senior Advisor on energy policy.

    USDA Virtual Office Hours, a live question and answer series that will be held monthly, allows stakeholders to directly engage with USDA leadership and subject matter experts through Twitter. Sessions will be focused on a specific mission, issue or program, as aligned with the Department’s strategic goals and based on stakeholder interests.

    In January, USDA launched www.USDA.gov/energy to serve as a one-stop shop for data and information about energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. This site allows individuals to learn more about USDA’s programs and see how their community can get involved in an expanding renewable energy and bio-based economy that is creating jobs and driving economic growth across rural America. To learn more about USDA’s accomplishments in renewable energy, read the results document HERE.

    Remember to tune in online by following @USDA and using #askUSDA and #energy.

    Biodiesel, Biofuels, Energy, Ethanol, Social Networking, USDA