Registration Open for CropLife’s 2022 PACE Executive Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

CropLife PACE Executive Forum 2022The 2022 event is set for October 27-28 at the Marriott Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO. Here’s more information. And registration is open.

The PACE Executive Forum is an exclusive, new conference born out of CropLife Media Group’s longstanding PACE Initiative. For over 25 years, the PACE Advisory Council has been effective in breaking down silos among the many sectors of agriculture and ag input distribution by sharing challenges and opportunities, learning from one another, and developing strategies for future action.

This October, building on the PACE Initiative model, industry leaders will share their knowledge and insights on how the ag retail industry can respond to the volatile market dynamics.

The ag retail industry is facing rapid and consequential strategic forces that are dramatically impacting businesses. High inflation interest rate environments along with energy price spikes and supply chain disruptions that are straining input availability and creating cost-price pressure are impacting operations across the country. The PACE Executive Forum is uniquely designed and timed to provide insights on how to adapt your go-forward agenda, respond, and realize new opportunities during these times of unprecedented change. Read More

Media

Precision Ag News 9/21

Carrie Muehling

  • Shell Rotella is hosting the second annual SuperTractors virtual tractor beauty contest to celebrate National Farmer’s Day. Farmers throughout North America will have the opportunity to register their unique farm equipment starting on September 19 for a chance to win $250 dollars and 10,000 MyMilesMatter points as part of the SuperTractors competition. Fans can vote for their favorite tractor beginning October 1 and concluding October 11 once a day at mymilesmatter.com/supertractors/peopleschoice.
  • Traction Ag Inc., the first cloud-based farm management software that delivers financial solutions to growers across the midwest, announced it has raised $3 million in seed funding. The company will use this investment to bring added functionality and value to its integrated farm accounting and operations application.
  • Customers seeking cutting-edge biological seed treatment solutions will benefit from a global commercial and R&D collaboration announced between Syngenta Crop Protection’s Seedcare business and Bioceres Crop Solutions, a leader in biological crop productivity solutions.
  • Arva Intelligence announced its participation in three proposals selected for award by the USDA’s new initiative to fund sustainability and climate solutions in agriculture. The USDA publicized its investment of $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities funding pool.
  • Nutrien is sharing the amazing results growers get when applying ESN Smart Nitrogen to corn, commissioning artist Stan Herd to create a one-of-a-kind living billboard in an Iowa cornfield. Over a period of eight weeks, Herd created a crop art installation featuring ESN’s signature E.S. Nitrogen “granule guy” in a local grower’s field using corn grown with ESN fertilizer. Herd recently went “viral” as more than 3 million people tuned in to YouTube for his “Stranger Things” crop creation. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of our crop art installation.
  • Meristem Crop Performance announced that ag industry veteran Chris Reat has joined their team to expand business opportunities in Texas and across the southern US. He will seek to further boost Meristem’s portfolio of innovative solutions into new markets.
  • President Biden has signed an executive order launching a national biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative that contains many provisions important to American soybean farmers, including actions that will support improved markets for biobased products, create greater access to biotechnology, and encourage research and development supporting the “bioeconomy,” or economic activity derived from biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
  • Three years of results from an eye-opening sustainability project in southwestern Wisconsin show that farmers who incorporate environmental practices that improve water quality and conserve soil can also benefit financially. Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance (LASA), a farmer-led watershed conservation group, released the latest results from an ongoing study of its nationally recognized sustainability project.
  • The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has rescheduled the Sept. 15, 2022, Conservation Practice Adoption Motivations data highlights release. The new release date is Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, at 3 p.m. EDT. NASS is taking this action to provide additional time for data collection and increase response rates.
  • EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, announced that EOSDA Crop Monitoring has been selected as “Yield Forecasting Solution of the Year” in the 2022 AgTech Breakthrough Awards conducted by AgTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global agricultural and food technology markets today.
  • The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has named Kelsey Litchfield of Rio, Illinois, as Agronomic Programs Coordinator. In her new role within the ISA Agronomy team, Litchfield will be working on behalf of Illinois soybean farmers by coordinating programs and implementing mission driven objectives.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

2022 NAMA Professional Development Awards of Excellence

Chuck Zimmerman

Bob WilhelmThe NAMA Professional Development Awards of Excellence honor members of the organization based on outstanding achievement in each of the Professional Development Areas. The awards will be presented in conjunction with the NAMA Fall Conference, October 10-12, in Minneapolis.

This year, NAMA recognizes Bob Wilhelm, Bayer Crop Science, in the Marketing Communications area and Lori Hallowell, Bader Rutter, in the area of Public Relations.

Throughout a career spanning more than 25 years, Bob Wilhelm has distinguished himself as an agricultural marketing visionary. Between the national and global stage, he has led branding strategy, campaign development, commercial marketing, internal communications, PR campaigns, social media strategy and more. Today, Wilhelm focuses on marketing communications as the Head of Digital Brand Experience, Marketing and Product Communications at Bayer Crop Science. His thoughtful and curious approach inspires team members, pushes boundaries and challenges convention to realize results that surpass goals across Bayer brands. As an avid regional and national NAMA supporter, Wilhelm’s influence is felt industry wide.

Lori HollowwellLori Hallowell’s professional commitment derives from a deep-seated passion for agriculture. For more than 30 years, Hallowell’s concern for the land, livestock and feeding the world has driven her to continually push her industry to improve and innovate. As a public relations leader, Hallowell inspires her Bader Rutter team to seek new and effective ways to deliver content in an ever-changing world. Hallowell’s progressive approach and understanding that to reach producers, agencies must capitalize on diverse content vehicles, has helped her team excel despite unprecedented challenges in recent years. Passionate about developing the next generation of ag communicators, Hallowell devotes countless hours as a mentor and has been active within NAMA for nearly 30 years.

NAMA

Animal Ag News 9/19

Carrie Muehling

  • The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) will invest approximately $38.5 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications during fiscal 2023, subject to USDA approval.
  • As part of its ongoing effort to dispel common misconceptions about modern pig farming, the National Pork Board is teaming up with country music superstar and five-time Entertainer of the Year winner, Luke Bryan. Drawing on his childhood upbringing on a Georgia farm, Bryan understands and appreciates the hard work more than 60,000 pig farmers across the United States put in every day.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is accepting applications for the 11th annual IPPE Young Leaders Under 30 Program. The Young Leaders Under 30 program targets young professionals who work for companies directly involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or in the production of animal food who normally would not have the opportunity to attend IPPE.
  • The White House announced an Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy. It outlines a “a whole-of-government approach to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing towards innovative solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture, supply chain resilience, and national and economic security.”
  • Nonprofit regional dairy council Dairy MAX, which represents more than 900 dairy farmers in eight states, is pleased to announce that Todd Green has been tapped as vice president of industry image and relations.
  • The 12th Annual Antibiotic Symposium is planned for November 1-3 in Alexandria, Virginia. This year’s theme for Symposium is Exploring Stewardship Sustainability and Collaboration.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Syngenta’s DuracadeViptera Is Most Comprehensive Solution for Pest Control

Chuck Zimmerman

Tim O'Brien, SyngentaSyngenta Corn Traits has simplified its corn trait product names and is now using trait brand names already known and trusted in the marketplace. Syngenta’s DuracadeVipteraTM is the industry’s most comprehensive solution for pest control, simplicity and choice–controlling 16 yield damaging above- and below-ground pests, more than any other competitive trait stack on the market.

“DuracadeViptera is our lead stack in our portfolio,” said Tim O’Brien, Traits Product Manager with Syngenta. “It offers protection for 16 above and below ground insects. That’s the most in the industry for a trait stack, so we’re very proud of that stack and excited to offer it to growers.”

O’Brien used Western Bean Cutworm as an example of an insect that is causing much more widespread pressure across the Corn Belt in recent years. While it’s fairly difficult to scout for and time the treatments properly, having a technology like Viptera available helps growers minimize scouting and spraying for that pest.

Tim O’Brien, Traits Product Manager, Syngenta
FPS22 Interview with Tim O'Brien, Syngenta (4:25)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album


Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Syngenta, Video

Industry Ag News 9/16

Carrie Muehling

  • Corn, soybean, and cotton production is down from 2021, according to the Crop Production report issued by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Corn production is down 8% from last year, forecast at 13.9 billion bushels; soybean growers are expected to decrease their production 1% from 2021, forecast at 4.38 billion bushels; cotton production is down 21% from 2021 at 13.8 million 480-pound bales.
  • Customers seeking cutting-edge biological seed treatment solutions will benefit from a global commercial and R&D collaboration announced between Syngenta Crop Protection’s Seedcare business and Bioceres Crop Solutions, a leader in biological crop productivity solutions.
  • This week over 250 National Farmers Union members from across the country arrived in Washington, DC to advocate for family farmers. Over the course of the week, Farmers Union members attended hundreds of Congressional meetings, met with over a dozen federal agencies, and directly participated in discussions with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair Rostin Behnam, among other leaders.
  • The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council signed a Letter of Intent Thursday with the Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association, an agreement worth approximately $2 billion that will benefit the state’s nearly 28,000 soybean farmers.
  • Mid America CropLife Association President Rodney Schmidt presented the Association’s most coveted award, the Dean Roy Achievement Award, to Doug Mertens, FMC, during its recent annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • Former House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson will be joining the lineup for the Ag Outlook Forum for a discussion with Blake Hurst, former Missouri Farm Bureau President, on the 2023 Farm Bill. Presented by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse, the Ag Outlook Forum is scheduled for September 26 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.
  • FAPRI-MU’s 2022 Baseline Update for U.S. Agricultural Markets is now available on the FAPRI-MU website. This report provides an update of the 2022 FAPRI-MU long-term baseline to reflect information available in mid-August 2022.
  • Kent Schescke, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), has announced his plans to retire in 2023 after almost 50 years of service to the agriculture, education, and scientific communities.
  • The theme for the 2023 GROWMARK Essay Contest is: “How can ag cooperatives stay relevant to future generations?” The contest is open to all high school FFA members in the United States. Essays should be submitted online at www.bit.ly/GMKEssay2023. The deadline for all submissions is midnight Central time on October 28, 2022. Additional program details have been sent to agriculture teachers and are online at www.growmark.com.
Zimfo Bytes

Some Climate-Smart Commodities Partnerships

Cindy Zimmerman

There’s something for almost every commodity in the $2.8 billion dollars in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities announced this week by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“Of the 70 proposals, five involve timber and forests, 13 involve livestock, 12 corn and soybean projects, six cotton, peanut and nuts projects; nine dairy projects, 13 projects involving fruits, vegetables and specialty crops; three involving hay, grass and energy crops; two hemp projects, four rice projects, and three wheat and other grain projects,” said Vilsack. The projects are anticipated to involved 50,000 farms and 20 million acres in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Here are just a few of the project awards:
Trust In Food™, the sustainability division of Farm Journal, received a $40-million partnership to support different approaches to testing and evaluating climate-smart data and information in all segments of agriculture in ways that add increased value and support to producers. Program participation will equip farmers and ranchers with the information they need to be competitive in a climate-smart marketplace, including access to personalized support services, coaching and direct payments for eligible participants.

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), through its national partnership, project partners and network of 3,000 conservation districts, received funding that will provide up to $90 million over 3 years for technical, financial, and marketing assistance.

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will receive up to $50 million for a multi-partner project aimed at expanding climate-smart markets and establishing dairy and sugar as climate-smart commodities.

The International Fresh Produce Association has received up to $15 million for a pilot project titled “A Vibrant Future” to incentivize growers of specialty crops to adopt climate-smart production in order to establish a consumer-driven, climate-smart market for fruits and vegetables grown using climate-smart practices.

A partnership of 14 public and private entities led by Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) was awarded $80 million to be used in a five year pilot project in Iowa and Missouri called ‘Horizon II’ to demonstrate a “Climate-Smart Future for Corn, Soybean, Livestock, and Renewable Natural Gas Production.”

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today applauded up to $95 million in funding to help farmers accelerate cover crop adoption. The funding will support Farmers for Soil Health, which works to advance conservation practices to improve soil health across the U.S. The collaborative is comprised of commodity groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, the National Pork Board, and the United Soybean Board.

The US Beet Sugar Association (USBSA) and American Sugarbeet Growers Associations (ASGA) received a $50 million multi-partner award to establish dairy and sugar as climate-smart commodities by implementing climate-smart production practices, enhancing business practices, improving business practices for climate-smart commodities, and making use of data and information collected to inform future standards.

American Farmland Trust and partner organizations were awarded a $30 million grant to spearhead an effort to transition the U.S. Beef Supply Chain to carbon neutral. The eight-state project will amplify production of climate-smart beef by expanding market drivers, grassroots support networks and early adopter mentors, while also providing technical assistance for the adoption of climate-smart grazing practices to substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration.

Sustainability, USDA

Syngenta Seeds Investment Announced 5 Years Ago Pays Off

Chuck Zimmerman

GW Fuhr, SyngentaThe 2022 Farm Progress Show saw a long-term investment paying off for Syngenta as the company continued showcasing new technology including corn hybrids, soybean varieties, biotech traits and digital advancements that will help farmers.

“Five years ago at this very show, we talked about our investment in U.S. seeds. We talked about a $400 million investment to really rebuild our pipeline in seeds,” said G.W. Fuhr, head of Golden Harvest’s U.S. Sales Team. “That investment is benefiting us today with great products. We’ve doubled the number of plant breeders in this organization, we’ve doubled our product testing, we’ve made key infrastructure investments.”

Fuhr said the company’s number on value is passion for the customer, which is the farmer.

GW Fuhr, Head of U.S. Sales, Golden Harvest
FPS22 Interview with GW Fuhr, Golden Harvest (3:51)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album


Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Syngenta

Land O’Lakes Project Receives USDA Climate-Smart Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., and American Farmland Trust (AFT), along with other partners, have received funding from USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities forf a project aimed at scaling production and addressing equity.

Truterra and AFT’s Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) pilot project intends to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 7.2 million metric tons of CO2e over the course of five years. The project seeks to engage up to 20,000 farmers and dairy producers and impact more than 7 million acres, with a focus on reaching historically underserved farmers.

Ag retailers will play a central role in the pilot project, working with grant partners to incent farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, including helping match farmers with incentives, agronomic advice, peer-to-peer networks, data entry support and more to support improved soil health systems. Grant partners will deploy existing digital infrastructure, including the Truterra sustainability tool, to aid in measuring impact and supporting validation and quantification processes.

The pilot project will use initial funding from USDA and matching funds from grant partners to help incentivize practice changes. Over time, the partners intend for the project to become self-funding through the sale of climate-smart commodities and ecosystem credits to downstream buyers, some of which will be, in turn, reinvested in delivering technical assistance to farmers to support additional practice changes.

Additional partners and supporters include: Ag Gateway, Biofiltro, Continuum Ag, ESRI, Equilibrium Capital, Farmobile, FarmRaise, John Deere, La Crosse Seed, Macquarie, Microsoft, Northern Star Seed, Sound Ag, Strand Gard Stewardship, WinField United, Black Family Land Trust, Farm Credit Council, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Minorities in Ag, Natural Res. & Related Sciences, Soil Health Institute, ButcherBox, Campbell Soup Company, Green Plains, The Hershey Company, Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods, Nestlé Purina Pet Care, Purina Animal Nutrition, Perdue, Primient, Tate & Lyle, Perennial, Colorado State Univ., SustainCERT and 50 ag retail cooperatives.

carbon, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Soybean, Sustainability

Agronomy in Action 2022 Research Review Explained

Chuck Zimmerman

Bruce Battles, Golden HarvestGolden Harvest is working to help growers better understand how specific hybrids respond to different management practices. After surveying 100 random Midwest growers, the company learned that 84 percent believe having access to hybrid specific information is extremely important. But, only slightly more than half said they were not managing their hybrids down to that level.

Golden Harvest has an answer for helping those growers to get the hybrid specific information they need with the annual Agronomy in Action Research Review.

“We’re trying to give them a starting point,” said Bruce Battles, technical agronomy manager. “We realize there is still room and a need to experiment on their own farm, but we’re giving them a starting point around basic things like fungicide response, seeding rate response, fertilizer placement and response to that versus a broadcast application.”

The research is available as a hard copy or online, or by contacting a local Golden Harvest seed advisor.

You can find their release on this from earlier this year here: https://www.syngenta-us.com/newsroom/news_release_detail.aspx?id=223108

Bruce Battles, Technical Agronomy Manager, Golden Harvest
FPS22 Interview with Bruce Battles, Golden Harvest (4:50)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album


Agribusiness, Agronomy, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta, Video