Industry Ag News 11/11

Carrie Muehling

  • Veteran strategic communications professional Mace Thornton has joined Stratovation Group as partner and COO to lead integrated client services, Cameron Camfield, founder and CEO of the Stratovation Group announced.
  • Syngenta team members received Honorary American FFA Degrees during the 95th Annual National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2022 honorees from Syngenta are Head of Global Seeds Strategy and Portfolio Head David Hollinrake, Head of North America Seeds Sales Service Operations Dawn Dietz, and East Heartland Commercial Unit District Manager Tim Hoberty.
  • The average price of diesel is $5.32 per gallon, more than $1.50 above the same time last year. While prices are below the $5.81 peak in June, the high cost of fuel is hitting farmers hard as they navigate the fall harvest season. American Farm Bureau Federation economists analyzed the factors driving up fuel prices in the latest Market Intel report.
  • Conservation Technology Innovation Center welcomes Ryan Heiniger as its new Executive Director. Heiniger is a fourth-generation Iowa farmer, wildlife biologist, and non-profit leader. CTIC board president Mark White of Syngenta says Heiniger’s combination of on-the-ground conservation experience and history of leadership in conservation-oriented organizations made him the perfect choice for the role.
  • Skye Root, founder of Root Agricultural Advisory in Boise, Idaho, was named the 2022 Professional Farm Manager of the Year. The award, co-sponsored by Syngenta, Farm Journal’s The Scoop magazine, and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), recognizes farm managers who display excellence in client service and a commitment to agriculture.
  • Farm Foundation, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, will host its next virtual Forum, What to Expect From the 2023 Farm Bill, on Tuesday, December 6, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. CDT.
  • AMVAC, an American Vanguard Company, announced the fourth annual Cotton Industry Advancement Scholarship winners. A total of seven students were selected from applications received across the country. Each scholarship recipient was awarded $2,000.
  • American Agri-Women (AAW) recently elected its national officers at its 2022 national convention in Bozeman, Mont. AAW, a national coalition of farm, ranch, and agri-business women, is in its 48th year of advocating for agriculture. Arlene Kovash of Oregon Women for Agriculture; is the new secretary. Jean Goslin of Kansas Agri-Women; is VP of Education. These women will serve two-year terms. Continuing on the national board for the second year of their two-year term is Heather Hampton+Knodle, Illinois Agri-Women, who serves as president. Rose Tryon VanCott, California Women for Agriculture, first vice president; Laura Hart, Texas Agri-Women, vice president of communications; Kathy Goodyke, Minnesota Agri-Women, treasurer; and Karolyn Zurn will continue her role as past president.
  • The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture announced ‘I LOVE Strawberries’ was named as a winner in the inaugural 2022 Good Housekeeping’s Best Kids’ Book Awards.
  • Jim Prevor has suddenly passed away from heart failure after being stricken by a heart attack and stroke. On this earth for merely 61 years, Jim was a force of boundless energy and enthusiasm for the perishable food and fresh produce industry in which he was born and carried a rich family legacy. Jim is survived by his wife Debbie, sons William and Matthew, and loving extended family and friends. Founder of PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine in 1985, just a couple years after his education at Cornell University, Jim saw the need for a publication to inform and educate the buying segments of the fruit and vegetable industry.
Zimfo Bytes

Precision Ag News 11/11

Carrie Muehling

  • First announced at the company’s annual Winter Conference in January, Precision Planting LLC’s new sprayer technology, ReClaim, is now available for purchase. ReClaim, which is focused on improving sprayer operation and environmental safety, completed beta testing this spring and summer.
  • American Farmland Trust released its updated CaRPE Tool™ and the first of a series of briefs to help states estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction opportunities from the implementation of climate-smart cropland and grazing land management practices. The tool and state-specific briefs, which summarize the carbon benefits of climate-smart practices and provide state and federal policy recommendations to increase their adoption, are now available. These briefs are designed to help policy makers and land managers prioritize efforts for cost-effective climate benefits available from the agricultural sector.
  • To help farmers and retailers better prepare for success while using the Enlist® weed control system during the upcoming growing season, Corteva Agriscience is once again hosting monthly webinars through March 2023. Monthly applicator and special series webinars are now open for registration, and continuing education credits will be awarded to qualifying participants.
  • The Sustainability Consortium reportedthat between 2016 to 2021, The Sustainability Insight System (THESIS) assessments of product manufacturers have improved 48% overall. This is an indication that the systems and processes put in place to respond to 600+ THESIS product category assessments are creating positive changes in manufacturers’ practices and supply chains, leading to an overall improvement in scores. In their 2022 Impact Report, The Power of Science-Based Action, TSC details the reasons behind some of the uptick of both retailers and suppliers making science-based commitments to sustainability.
  • Two more leading agronomic professionals have joined Meristem Crop Performance, one of the fastest-growing crop input suppliers in America. Cameron Edwards will serve farm businesses in Ohio as sales representative and Mason Troendle becomes sales representative serving farm operations in Iowa.
  • NuCicer announces the closure of an additional seed investment round. The funding, led by Leaps by Bayer, the impact investing arm of Bayer AG, alongside Lever VC, Blue Horizon, and Trellis Road follows an earlier investment round led by Lever VC in October 2021. It will allow NuCicer to scale production of its first-generation chickpea varieties with 75 percent higher protein content, targeting to reduce chickpea protein ingredient costs by 50 percent, and expand existing work with downstream partners and customers to bring affordable, sustainable plant proteins to end-consumers in 2023.
  • Golden Harvest released new corn hybrid performance data and agronomic management recommendations to help farmers make plans to increase corn yield potential next year. With elite corn genetics and proactive strategies to manage soil fertility and corn rootworm pressure, farmers can lay the foundation now for a successful 2023 season.
  • The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America have launched a new online site called Decode 6, which provides free educational resources in carbon and ecosystem services for people in the agricultural and environmental sectors. Decode 6 is the source for unbiased, science-based information to evaluate today’s opportunities in carbon and ecosystem services practices and markets.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Onward to the AgGateway Annual Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

2022 Ag Gateway Annual MeetingI’ll be on the agriblogging highway this weekend for the AgGateway Annual Meeting. This will be my first time attendance and I’m looking forward to seeing members I know and meeting news ones. There is a very full agenda of technical sessions and more discussions of industry standards and guidelines. The standards were discussed at the mid-year meeting by committee and this meeting will include ideas coming out of that effort and others that have come up since then.

It’s kind of like an agnerd convention when you consider the types of technical sessions on topics like data linking, irrigation standards, laboratory data, crop protection, retail, traceability and more. My goal is to interview participants on these topics and issues and hopefully in terms that are easy to understand. I’m going to start using #AgGateway2022 as a hashtag unless someone has an objection.

Learn more about what the meeting is all about in this interview Cindy did with AgGateway EVP/COO, Jeremy Wilson:
AgGateway annual conference preview 13:47

Ag Groups, AgGateway, Audio, Crop Protection, data, Irrigation, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Technology

MyLand Offers Educational Webinars

Cindy Zimmerman

Soil health and regenerative agriculture company MyLand Company is offering two free educational webinars on November 17th and 29th at 9 a.m. PST to promote the perspective of Soil-as-a-Service. This new paradigm of soil health will help growers to better understand and enhance the natural capabilities of their soils. 

Both webinars will be hosted by MyLand Research Director and Kiss the Ground documentary co-star Dr. Kris Nichols and will feature preeminent regenerative agriculture thought leaders.

On November 17th, Dr. James White, Rutgers University will share his research and insight on the role plants play in producing the exudates needed to meet the plant’s growth and yield needs. 

Discovered in Australia over a decade ago, Dr. White and his team continue to investigate and research the Rhizophagy Cycle and its effects on plant health and performance. Key learnings from White and his team have helped the modern regenerative agriculture industry to better understand the symbiosis between crops, soils, and microbes. 

On November 29th, Kris will visit with Drs. Liz and Rick Haney and Lance Gunderson, founder of Regen Ag Lab, to learn about the measurement of biological activity in soil and what it means for the success of crops. 

The Haneys and Gunderson will provide an in-depth look at the Haney Soil Test, from sampling and reading to real-world application of the knowledge provided by the testing. 

To learn more about this webinar series and to register for one or both, visit www.myland.ag/webinars

Soil, webinar

ZimmCast 701 – A View from the Top with Syngenta Crop Protection

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this episode I’m going to share some interviews with Syngenta leadership from the company’s crop protection media summit. So, let’s learn what’s new with Syngenta Crop Protection. First I’ll share my conversation with Vern Hawkins, President, Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, followed by Jeff Cecil, Head of North America Crop Protection Marketing. Vern will discuss a “View from the Top.”

2022 Syngenta Media SummitNext we have Jeff who will discuss “Syngenta CP Innovation and Economics of Agronomics.”

For more interviews from the Syngenta Media Summit go to AgNewsWire.com and click on the virtual newsroom where you will also find lots of photos from the event in Louisiana.

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

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 701 - A View from the Top with Syngenta Crop Protection (20:26)

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:

Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Protection, Media, Syngenta, ZimmCast

Animal Ag News 11/7

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board honored Rick Naczi as the 2022 recipient of the Richard E. Lyng Award for his contributions and distinguished service to dairy promotion.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States. A dynamic and integral part of the national economy, the U.S. poultry industry provides 2,012,269 jobs, $125.6 billion in wages, $555.9 billion in economic activity and $33.7 billion in government revenue.
  • Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame inductees and industry award winners will be honored on Jan. 31, 2023, during the 14th annual banquet, which precedes the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, Feb. 1-3.
  • The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program have announced the winners of the second annual FARM Excellence Awards. More information about the FARM Excellence Awards and the 2022 award winners is available on the FARM Excellence Awards page.
  • Pharmgate Animal Health has hired Dr. Nicholas Lauterbach, DVM, as a technical services veterinarian. Lauterbach will work with veterinarians and production teams at swine operations to help create and execute swine health protocols.
  • A major new report released in advance of the United Nations Climate Summit next week in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, reveals that about 81% of facilities reporting data are covered by Meat Institute members’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • To bring the most relevant production and economic information to cattlemen, Certified Angus Beef hired fifth-generation rancher Lindsay Graber Runft as director of producer communications.
  • U.S. consumers can expect to pay more for their Thanksgiving turkeys this year as supplies have dwindled following the widespread outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Since the outbreak began this spring, more than 7.5 million turkeys have been removed from production in an effort to mitigate the disease. The losses were the latest blow to the national turkey flock which, was already shrinking due to a series of production challenges and industry contraction in recent years. The combination of tight supplies and strong holiday demand will send retail turkey prices to record highs this year, according to a new research brief from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $73 million in 21 grant projects through the first round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program.
  • “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” the television show of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, announced that it will air a special “Salute to Veterans” episode on November 8th in honor of Veterans Day. The show will highlight the service of veterans involved in the beef industry and explore the connection between patriotic farmers and ranchers and our nation’s servicemembers.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

DWFI Podcast 19 – Renee San Souci, Omaha Tribe Member

Cindy Zimmerman

In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, DWFI Director of Communications Frances Hayes caught up with Renee San Souci at the 2022 Platte River Basin Conference in Kearney, Nebraska. Renee was a featured speaker at the conference, providing a tribal perspective on creating vibrant, resilient solutions for the future of the people and wildlife who depend on the Platte River. The Platte Rivers runs through Nebraska and is a braided 310-mile-long tributary of the Missouri River.

Renee is a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa, an educator, and a poet. She is dedicated to Native youth suicide prevention, language revitalization, community healing and restoring spiritual connections to the Sky and the Earth through native teachings. Renee shares her journey to becoming an educator and her perspective on water as a native woman.

Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI Podcast 19 - Renee San Souci, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa 32:49

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

How to subscribe:

Audio, Environment, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Groups Urge Congress to Avoid Rail Strike

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 200 organizations representing agricultural, food and renewable fuels industries are urging Congress to act quickly to prevent a rail strike and service shutdown on November 19, the deadline for unions and railroads to finalize an agreement.

“A strike or lockout combined with existing challenges in the rail system, at our ports, with trucking and with record low water levels on the Mississippi River impacting numerous barge shipments would be catastrophic for the agricultural and broader U.S. economies,” wrote the Agricultural Transportation Working Group in a letter to congressional leadership. “Congress must act to prevent this from occurring if the parties cannot reach agreement.” The group pointed out that critical inputs and agricultural products such as ammonia shipments could be embargoed as early as November 14, the day Congress returns to session.

The administration brokered an agreement between the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and twelve unions on September 15 but two unions have voted to not
ratify and congressional action will be necessary if the parties fail to reach agreement.

Ag Groups, transportation

Industry Ag News 11/4

Carrie Muehling

  • Culver’s has launched the To Farmers With Love contest – an opportunity for individuals to nominate a farmer in their life to win a generous prize package as part of Culver’s Thank You Farmers® Project. People interested in nominating a farmer can visit www.culvers.com/to-farmers-with-love to learn more and complete the nomination form. The contest runs from Nov. 1 through Nov. 15. Fifteen winning farmers will receive a $500 cash prize, Culver’s gift cards and swag. Additionally, to demonstrate Culver’s dedication to supporting the future of agriculture, the winning farmers will also receive a $575 donation to their local FFA chapters in their names.
  • Syngenta Group has been recognized as one of the world’s top five leading employers – and the top agriculture employer – in the 2022 Science Careers Top Employers Survey. The company ranked fifth on the annual list of top employers in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical and related industries, marking its 12th time in 13 years of recognition by the prestigious Science publication.
  • Learfield Ag announced Anna Hastert has joined AgriAmerica, a division of Learfield Ag, as Digital Content Creator/Coordinator. She is based in Ames, Iowa.
  • Sunsweet Growers Inc. announced the promotion of Brad Schuler to Chief Operating Officer (COO), expanding on his previous role as Vice President Global Marketing & Sales.
  • American Farmland Trust has named Dr. Courtney Owens as Southeast Regional Director to lead programs to protect farmland, promote sound farming practices and keep farmers on the land in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
  • Genera, a manufacturer of domestically sourced and produced ag-based pulp and molded fiber products, has hired 30-year financial expert Leslie Daniel as its new CFO. In her new position, she will develop the company’s capital planning strategies, oversee expansion, identify opportunities for cost reduction, and strengthen internal systems to support rapid growth.
  • Cotton producers, independent crop consultants and students who register for the 2023 Beltwide Cotton Conferences before December 14 can take advantage of reduced registration fees of $80. After that date, the rate will increase to $100. The forum, set for January 10-12 at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, La., will offer attendees timely updates on the latest research, technology and issues affecting U.S. cotton production and processing.
  • The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) recommends producers plan for winter energy needs now and consider adding or expanding the use of propane to keep operations running smoothly and boost bottom lines. With harvest in full swing and winter weather right around the corner, PERC says now is the time to reach out to propane suppliers and prepare for the coming months.
  • The 46th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend.
  • Fifteen farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the fall session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation. A spring session of Boot Camp will be held April 3-6, 2023, with applications opening in December.
  • The National Fisheries Institute named Lisa Wallenda Picard as incoming President & CEO of the association. Picard joins NFI from the National Turkey Federation (NFT) where she is the Senior Vice President for Policy, Trade and Regulatory Affairs.
Zimfo Bytes

Syngenta Hopeful Science Will Prevail in Atrazine Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

The public comment period for proposed EPA revisions to rules and regulations regarding the use of atrazine ended October 7 but it will still be some time yet before a final decision is made that could ultimately impact 65 million acres of corn, sorghum, and sugarcane nationwide.

“It’s going to have a significant impact on how we use atrazine going forward if this proposal does in fact come to fruition,” said Mark White, Sr. Stewardship Manager for Syngenta, who gave an update on the EPA proposal during a media event this week. The proposed rules published in June would reduce the concentration equivalent level of concern (CE-LOC) from 15 parts per billion to 3.4 parts per billion, reduce atrazine usage to a maximum of 2 pounds per acre per year, prohibit aerial spraying, and ban atrazine applications to saturated soils, as well as within 48 hours of forecast heavy precipitation.

White says EPA received over 68,000 public comments on the proposal, about half of which have been published so far, and EPA has already agreed to have an independent scientific advisory panel review the CE-LOC, which will not happen until sometime next year. In the meantime, the current label and use for atrazine remains in effect. “Even in a worse case scenario, if nothing were to change and the proposal went through as proposed, it would still be over a year, two years from now probably before we saw new labels come out,” said White, and Syngenta remains hopeful that good science will prevail in this case.

Learn more in this interview.
Syngenta media - Mark White interview 9:36

AgWired Precision, Audio, Crop Protection, EPA, Herbicide, Syngenta, Uncategorized