Industry Ag News 9/30

Carrie Muehling

  • The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) are celebrating 50 years of working together to provide timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.
  • Start making your plans to attend the 2022 NAFB Convention today. Join more than 650 agricultural industry leaders November 16-18 in Kansas City for three days of learning, newsmaker sessions, networking, and more.
  • The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) and other Illinois commodity groups signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan that will enable closer cooperation in global trade facilitation.
  • The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) presented the Industry Vision of the Year award on Thursday, September 8, during the Annual Meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri. This year’s recipient is Susanne Wasson, Corteva Agriscience (retired), of Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Those planning to attend the 2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, set for January 10-12 (Tuesday-Thursday) at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel in New Orleans, LA can now register at https://www.cotton.org/beltwide/index.cfm?page=registration. The last day for discounted meeting pre-registration fees is Wednesday, December 14.
  • The National FFA Organization has received $3 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help strengthen Indiana FFA chapters.
  • NASCAR Cup Series rookie, Todd Gilliland, and his No. 38 Georgia Peanuts team head back to the Superspeedway racing Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced that eight Research Ambassadors have been selected for 2022-2023 academic year. Developed and funded by NCGA’s Sustainable Ag Research Action Team, the objective is to build a network of future leaders in the agricultural sector; ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and be involved in research relevant to corn production.
Zimfo Bytes

ZimmCast 699 – Preview of the 2022 NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This week’s program will be a preview interview on the NAMA Fall Conference coming up very soon in Minneapolis. To get the details I talked with GROWMARK’s Chris Grogan who is the vice chair of the NAMA committee that has worked with staff to plan this year’s event. We’ll talk about the program and speakers, registration, the hotel and more.

The conference will be held at the Loews in Minneapolis on October 10-12. You can find the link to register on the NAMA website if you haven’t already done so.

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 699 - NAMA Fall Conference Preview (10:54)

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

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:

Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast

NCBA CEO Represents Beef Producers at White House

Cindy Zimmerman

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Colin Woodall this week attended the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to represent the nation’s beef cattle producers.

“The White House has prioritized ending hunger and increasing access to nutritious food and America’s cattle producers are ready to help by providing safe, sustainable, and nutritious protein to the world,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “We will continue to highlight beef’s role as an excellent source of protein for all ages, especially for those Americans lacking iron and other essential beef nutrients.”

The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, held for the first time in over 50 years, provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss solutions to end hunger and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases by 2030. Agricultural producers have a central role in this conversation as providers of our nation’s food. NCBA has previously highlighted the importance of beef in a balanced diet and will continue to showcase the innovative, sustainable production practices employed by cattle producers that ensure safe, wholesome, nutritious beef is accessible to all.

NCBA Director of Policy Communications Hunter Ihrman interviewed Woodall about the conference.
NCBA interview on White House conference (6:08)

Audio, Beef, Food, NCBA

Carbon A List and Partners Receive USDA Climate-Smart Grant

Cindy Zimmerman

Carbon A List, partnering with Danone North America and others, has been awarded $70 million by the USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities initiative.

As one of the 14 high-investment projects, the partners will use the awarded funds to transform the farmer-to-consumer supply chain with implementation of climate-smart projects and infrastructure investments. The five-year collaborative program allows project partners to create end-to-end supply chain partnerships to optimize the value of climate-smart commodities through improving feed management for dairy cows, enhancing food grade commodities for human consumption and better managing nutrients and manure on farm operations. It will also help farmers identify best practices for their acres. To optimize climate-smart farm practices, farmers will receive agronomic and business support for their agricultural systems. This will drive economic growth in rural communities.

The initiative will involve more than 350 participating farms across 18 states. This will include over 32,000 farm
acres, as well as 48,000 head of cattle across 57 managed dairy projects. Partners expect implemented project
practices to remove 57,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the 5-year period. Along with Danone North America, other major partners include Becks Hybrids, Scoular, Sustainable Environmental Consultants and others.

carbon, Farming, USDA

Precision Ag News 9/28

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is making $500 million in grants available to increase American-made fertilizer production to spur competition and combat price hikes on U.S. farmers caused by the war in Ukraine.
  • The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its withdrawal of all remaining portions of the interim registration review decision for glyphosate. Pesticide products containing glyphosate continue to remain on the market and be used according to the product label and are unaffected by this action.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Houston Engineering, will lead development of a new online tool, the Climate Smart Agriculture Connector, as a key element of a new project selected last week for funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program.
  • AMVAC® Chemical Corp., an American Vanguard® Company, announced a Farm Journal-managed, coalition-driven initiative called the Climate-Smart Connected Ag Project – in which AMVAC/SIMPAS® is a partner – has been named a USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities project.
  • The Soil Health Institute (SHI) congratulates all recently announced USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant recipients. As an implementing partner across five selected projects, SHI will work alongside a wide variety of organizations to assist farmers, ranchers, and landowners on their journey toward improved soil health and climate resiliency.
  • GUSS™ Automation has introduced the first and only autonomous herbicide orchard sprayer – Herbicide GUSS, available at select John Deere dealers. This high-tech herbicide sprayer removes the driver from the vehicle to eliminate exposure to the chemical being sprayed. A single operator can monitor any combination of up to eight GUSS, mini GUSS or Herbicide GUSS sprayers on a laptop computer from the safety of their vehicle.
  • Developing a uniform industry adjuvant educational program for the agricultural retail industry is the focus of a webinar the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA) is sponsoring in partnership with the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) starting at 1:00 p.m. EST on Nov. 1.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Farm Journal Foundation Series to Discuss Food Waste

Cindy Zimmerman

The Farm Journal Foundation Speaker Series will focus on Food Waste: Access, Affordability and Acceptability during a webinar Thursday, September 29, at 4 pm Eastern.

In developing countries, 40 percent of food losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels. In industrialized countries, more than 40 percent of losses happen at retail and consumer levels. Creating solutions for food waste is a challenge that requires navigating complex landscapes of income disparities, cultural and societal practices, and matters of distribution and availability. This panel will examine the ways in which issues of access, affordability and acceptability contribute to food waste, and how next generation leaders are creating a more inclusive food system.

Register on-line.

Farm Journal, Food

Syngenta Seeds Research Shows Benefits of Enogen Corn

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Seeds has unveiled new research on the benefits of using Enogen® corn for livestock feed in dairy operations. The research found that when comparing Enogen corn to traditional feed products, a U.S. dairy farm operation could potentially yield a financial savings of $132 to $208 per milking cow.

The financial value assessment, conducted in partnership with model developers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Animal and Dairy Sciences and Agronomy Departments and Rock River Laboratory, evaluated factors such as milk content, expected milk revenue, and associated corn silage costs, resulting in a final metric of Income Over Feed Cost (IOFC).

In addition to the financial value assessment, Syngenta Seeds conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) for the dairy industry and unveiled a similar LCA for the beef industry in 2021, which demonstrated the potential for reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production by switching to Enogen corn in feed rations. The dairy-specific LCA, completed by sustainability firm Sustainable Solutions Corporation, highlights potential reductions in environmental impacts, including lower emissions of greenhouse gases and lower use of land, energy and water.

Syngenta Head of Enogen Marketing and Stewardship Duane Martin talked about some of the advantages of Enogen corn for livestock during an interview at the recent Farm Progress Show.
FPS22 Interview with Duane Martin, Enogen (3:35)

Audio, Corn, Feed, Livestock, Syngenta

Custom Agronomics Partners with Inverness Graham

Cindy Zimmerman

Custom Agronomics, Inc., a provider of private-labeled liquid plant nutrition and other specialty products for agriculture, turf and ornamental markets, has announced a partnership with Inverness Graham Investments.

Company co-founders Michael Williams and Brian Scott will continue running the business. “We look forward to collaborating with the team at Inverness Graham to further expand our offerings and capabilities for both existing and new customers as we pursue the next chapter of growth at Custom Agronomics. We anticipate that this change will result in additional capabilities, increased staffing, and overall enhanced operational and innovative excellence.”

Custom Agronomics and Inverness Graham Investments will be seeking acquisitions that provide high quality products to specialty agriculture and turf markets.

Agronomy, Nutrient Management

Animal Ag News 9/26

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced that Mikayla Dolch has joined the organization as its new manager of marketing and digital communications. Dolch will support the expansion and enhancement of NPPC’s digital programming activities.
  • The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) invites you to its 15th Annual Meeting and Cattle Producer’s Forum at the DoubleTree Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee this upcoming December 8-10, 2022. Registration and room reservations are now live at https://cattlemensmeeting.square.site/.
  • The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) is now accepting nominations for the second cohort of the Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders program. Nominations are due November 1.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), in conjunction with the Public Lands Council (PLC), is now accepting applications for public policy internships in the NCBA Washington, D.C., office for summer 2023.
  • The dairy checkoff’s “Reset Yourself with Dairy” campaign earned a best-in-class International Milk Promotions (IMP) Trophy at the recent International Dairy Federation’s
    World Dairy Summit 2022 in India, winning against finalist campaigns from France and Switzerland.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) awarded the 2022 Clean Water Award to and Tyson Foods in Dardanelle, Ark., and Pilgrim’s in Arcadia, Wis. The award is presented annually to poultry facilities that go above and beyond in their commitment to sustainable wastewater treatment and water reuse.
  • A new poll of registered voters, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) shows an overwhelming majority of voters—including 86% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 90% of Republicans—support the American Beef Labeling Act (S.2716 and H.R.7291) that reinstates mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.
  • The partners in a new broad climate-smart initiative touted the potential of the project to greatly expand farmer-led conservation practices and business opportunities. The groups learned they will receive up to $50 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the initiative through USDA’s new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 9/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Virtual registration is still available for the Ag Outlook Forum on September 26 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT. The annual Ag Outlook Forum is a great opportunity to get a comprehensive preview of what lies ahead from leading experts. Presented by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse, this “must attend” event brings together USDA’s Chief Economist and other industry experts to share key insights on existing and new market opportunities.
  • The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) Educator of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Todd Gaines, Colorado State University. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated significant contributions to American agriculture, especially in the MACA region. The Ruth White Media Award is presented to an individual who’s demonstrated an evidence of consistent, objective, and accurate reporting on American agriculture and the myriad of issues involved in modern agriculture, including the CropLife industry. This year’s winner is Mike Adams, formerly with American Ag Network.
  • Plans for the 2023 Commodity Classic are well underway as America’s largest farmer-led agricultural and educational experience returns to Orlando March 9-11, 2023. The theme for the 2023 show is “Preparing for the Next Generation.”
  • Clean Fuels Alliance America has appointed Jonathan Martin of Ottawa Hills, Ohio, as its first Director of Economic and Market Analytics. Martin, most recently an economist with Marathon Petroleum Co., brings ten years of experience in oil and gas corporate economics to this newly created role. He will be based in Ohio.
  • The American Farm Bureau and Farm Bureau members across the country will have a seat at the table advising the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission with the appointment of Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue to serve on the Agricultural Advisory Committee.
  • Alltech has appointed Tara McCarthy as its global vice president of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). McCarthy will support the advancement of Alltech’s vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, which underscores the ability of the agri-food sector to provide enough nutritious food for all while revitalizing local communities and replenishing the Earth’s natural resources.
  • Potato retail sales increased in dollar sales but decreased in volume sales from July 2021 – June 2022, compared to the same timeframe a year ago. As consumer prices increased by 10.5 percent, retail dollar sales increased by 5.7 percent. The total volume sales decreased 4.4 percent from the same time a year ago, but they remained above volume sales prior to the pandemic. Dollar sales have continuously increased over the last five years. Volume sales have ranged between 6.7 to 7 billion pounds of potatoes sold at retail.
  • The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) announced that the organization has hired Alison Gerzina to serve as coordinator of government affairs and communications. In this role, she will support the efforts of the organization in representing the policy and business interests of farmer co-ops in the nation’s capital.
  • The AgCareers.com 2022-2023 season of Feed Your Future virtual career fairs will continue to connect agri-food employers and job seekers across the United States. Organizations require qualified talent to fill workforce gaps in agriculture and food.
  • Farm Credit and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) announced a new partnership to expand Farm Credit’s Launching Leaders internship program. Interested students may find current internship and career opportunities at Farm Credit institutions across the country at FarmCredit.com/careers.
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