Precision Ag News 4/27

Carrie Muehling

  • Bayer announced that the company is pursuing an agreement whereby Ginkgo Bioworks will acquire Bayer’s West Sacramento Biologics Research & Development site and internal discovery and lead optimization platform. The contemplated transaction, projected to close before the end of 2022 pending final negotiation of the agreement terms and subject to regulatory approvals, would also bring Joyn Bio’s nitrogen-fixing technologies to Bayer, successfully closing the joint venture created between Leaps by Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks in 2017.
  • The new ASTA Leadership Summit is coming this June in Indianapolis. In designing this program, the ASTA Board of Directors and staff have focused on developing the professional skills and educational needs to further the future leaders of our seed industry.
  • Registration is open for Tech Hub LIVE in Indianapolis July 20-21, 2022.
  • AgGateway’s Mid-Year Meeting returns to a fully in-person experience this summer, and registration is now open. The Mid-Year Meeting, set for June 13-16 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, connects the companies, organizations, and professionals that are actively working to bring seamless digital connectivity to the agriculture industry.
  • The annual Water for Food Research Forum serves as a culmination of yearly activities from DWFI’s Student Support Award Program and showcases students’ innovative work in water and food security. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required and space is limited. The Research Forum is scheduled for May 3, 2022 from 1-6 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
  • Deere & Company has formed a joint venture with GUSS Automation, LLC, in Kingsburg, California. GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) is a pioneer in semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers.
  • The Milpa First Acre program is a multi-partner collaboration designed to showcase the value of crop diversity in soil health and the health of the planet, all while giving back to local communities. The expanded program seeks to enroll hundreds of farmers across the United States in growing a milpa garden, based on the Maya tradition of the milpa production cycle. The expanded initiative in Spring 2022 is done in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Syngenta Seeds, the Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim and RegeNErate Nebraska.
  • The National Soybean Nematode Conference (NSNC) will be held December 14-16, 2022, in Savannah, Georgia. The world’s premier event for soybean nematode research will take place at The DeSoto Hotel.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

NCBA Opposes Mandate on Cattle Sales

Cindy Zimmerman

Two bills designed to address transparency and oversight within cattle marketing were the subject of a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on Tuesday where the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association expressed opposition to a “government mandate on cattle sales.”

The hearing was specifically on the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act sponsored by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and another bill by Sen. John Tester (D-MT) creating additional oversight through a special office at USDA.

Kansas Livestock Association and NCBA member Shawn Tiffany testified that the legislation could potentially result in fewer marketing opportunities and less incentive for producers to invest in genetics and innovative production techniques that lead to higher-quality beef. “Every producer wants fair market value for the animals we raise and produce and many of us achieve that true value through value-based alternative marketing arrangements. Accordingly, I do not support a government mandate, of any kind,” said Tiffany. “Regardless of how well intentioned the concept of helping producers obtain fair market value for their animals, the end result will be fewer marketing options for U.S. producers.”

Sen. Fischer defended the legislation as a cattle producer and member of NCBA. “I’m not happy about mandates. I’m a rancher, I don’t like mandates on anything,” said Fischer. “But when you put forward voluntary programs and it is shown they don’t work and acknowledged by associations that they don’t work, we need to look elsewhere, and we have done that with this bill.”

American Farm Bureau Federation is also opposed to mandatory cash trade requirements, while National Farmers Union and U.S. Cattlemen’s Association are in favor of the legislation.

Listen to remarks from Tiffany and Fischer:
Shawn Tiffany, Kansas Livestock Association (5:17)

Sen. Deb Ficher (R-NE) (3:33)

Audio, Beef, Livestock, NCBA

CropTrak Adds Digital Contracting and Settlement

Cindy Zimmerman

CropTrak has released a new platform update that adds digital contracting and settlement creating the ability to digitize grower contracts into a single supplier management system.

The updates provide multi-stakeholders complete visibility of the financial transactions across their ingredient supply chain so that for the first time, food and beverage companies managing grower contracts and settlements can do so in one seamless platform optimized for collaboration and insights.

“For companies who manage hundreds or thousands of field contracts, integrating the buyers, agronomics, and accounting teams into a single, real-time source of truth can save the company millions of dollars,” said Aaron Hutchinson, co-founder and CEO of CropTrak. “Our goal is to continue to lead the food industry with ongoing innovation and process improvements to help assure food is safe, affordable, and sustainable, while making paper contracts a thing of the past.”

Using a fully integrated cloud-based platform, CropTrak customers spread production demands across grower fields in the form of digital contracts. The contracts are then connected with on-farm activities and inputs during the season to ensure contract compliance before being combined with harvest, grading, and weight data to calculate the ERP payment memo for growers, haulers, and other service providers. The auditable digital record of every entry is maintained in a single-ledger cloud database that supports verification of crop, contract, and sustainability data at any time and with confidence.

Hutchinson talks about the new capabilities and the benefits for growers and others in the food system.
CropTrak CEO Aaron Hutchinson explains new capabilities (4:29)

AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag News 4/25

Carrie Muehling

  • The Balchem Real Science Lecture from Dr. Ciappio is now available online. Find all the resources at Balchem.com/RealScience.
  • Smithfield Foods, Inc., the Utah Pork Producers Association and the Fredette Family Foundation delivered a nearly 30,000-pound truckload of protein to Utah Food Bank following a joint-pledge to donate for every point scored by Brigham Young University and Utah State University during the 2021-2022 football season.
  • A data monitor system could take a farm operation to the next level. In the latest edition of the Dairy Stream podcast, host Mike Austin talks with Michael Goeldi, customer success team member at smaXtec, about data monitoring systems for cows, bolus technology, the role of artificial intelligence, improving management processes and saving money.
  • The National Bison Association is kicking off its partnership with the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education center at the University of Minnesota this month. The NBA will be working with NCSARE to facilitate two years’ worth of bison field day workshops exhibiting holistic and regenerative management at working bison operations across the upper Midwest.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association celebrates the decision by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to allow New York City public schools to continue to serve nutritious, low-fat and fat-free flavored milk with school meals.
  • USPOULTRY’s 2022 Financial Management Seminar, developed by poultry and egg industry financial professionals, offers insight and tools to help increase your company’s bottom line. This year’s seminar will be held June 27 – 29 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa in Clearwater, Fla.
  • R-CALF USA is delighted to announce that its upcoming 2022 Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held at The Lodge at Deadwood in Deadwood, South Dakota. The event is scheduled for Aug. 18-19, 2022. Sponsorship and attendee registration is available now at www.rcalfconvention.com.
  • European dairy cooperative Arla Foods and global purpose-led science-based company, Royal DSM, are set to start a large-scale on-farm pilot with the methane reducing feed additive Bovaer@ on 10,000 dairy cows across three European countries. Long-standing global research and on-farm trials show that Bovaer@ can reduce methane emissions by around 30% with continued high animal welfare, supporting the companies’ commitment to sustainable dairy production.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 4/22

Carrie Muehling

  • Syngenta announced David Flakne has been named team lead for U.S. state affairs. Flakne succeeds Dennis Kelly who retired on April 1 after 44 years of service with the company.
  • The Packer and PMG announce the launch of ProduceEDU, an online education platform offering courses tailored for both the buy-side and supply-side audiences of the produce industry. ProduceEDU coursework is developed by The Packer and PMG editorial team in conjunction with subject matter experts within and outside the industry.
  • The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has launched a first-of-its-kind online platform for K-12 and STEM educators who seek to bring science to life through the lens of agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education supports educators who teach, coach or advise K-12 science coursework in public and private, formal and informal educational spaces through a three-pronged approach consisting of classroom resources, professional development and partnerships.
  • The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit that builds public-private partnerships to fund audacious food and agriculture research, announced that its Board of Directors selected Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin as FFAR’s executive director.
  • No Farms No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalist to Transform Agriculture by Don Stuart, published by Island Press, recounts the history of American Farmland Trust and its success uniting disparate interests to bring about the protection of farmland and ranchland and the conservation of environmental resources on which our food, fuel, feed and fiber production rely—on which society and the planet relies.
  • Bayer announced that the company is pursuing an agreement whereby Ginkgo Bioworks will acquire Bayer’s West Sacramento Biologics Research & Development site and internal discovery and lead optimization platform. The contemplated transaction, projected to close before the end of 2022 pending final negotiation of the agreement terms and subject to regulatory approvals, would also bring Joyn Bio’s nitrogen-fixing technologies to Bayer, successfully closing the joint venture created between Leaps by Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks in 2017.
  • In the latest episode of Something Greater, Land O’Lakes, Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Heather Malenshek shares how Land O’Lakes is bringing to life the stories of the cooperative as a powerful engine working in service of its farmer and retailer owners.
  • The new ASTA Leadership Summit is coming this June in Indianapolis. In designing this program, the ASTA Board of Directors and staff have focused on developing the professional skills and educational needs to further the future leaders of the seed industry.
  • Mickie French, an accomplished global expert in food value chain communications and marketing strategy, is the new executive director of The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). CFI is a not-for-profit with a diverse membership whose sole mission is to help today’s food system earn consumer trust.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association announced that GreenAmerica Biofuels Ord LLC has joined the organization as its newest producer member.
  • Video interviews explaining the role and value of professional farm managers and rural appraisers are now available for public viewing at the website of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Videos are free to watch and are behind the Video Series link on the website.
Zimfo Bytes

Agri-Pulse Newsmakers – Dan Glickman and Food Security

Cindy Zimmerman

The newest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is now live and features former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman on what global food security means for the U.S.

New figures released this week by the International Monetary Fund were cause for concern around the world as the potential for increased food costs is weighed against potential political uncertainty that might result. Dan Glickman, the ag secretary for the majority of the Clinton administration, joins Newsmakers to discuss what the report means and what the U.S. can do about it.

Then, an esteemed panel – oilseed industry analyst John Baize, Krysta Harden with the U.S. Dairy Export Council and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture Kip Tom – discuss what they’re hearing about global food prices, supply chain issues, and the potential for role of the 2022 crop year in the conversation.

Newsmakers is also available as a podcast and/or you can sign up to get free access to Newsmakers.


Agri-Pulse, Video

Precision Ag News 4/22

Carrie Muehling

  • Registration is now open for Tech Hub LIVE in Indianapolis on July 20-21, 2022.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame recognizes the pioneers
    whose inventions, ideas, leadership and courage have contributed to the industry and our community’s quality of life. Submit your nomination at AEM.org/hall-of-fame. Nominations are open until June 17, 2022.
  • Two more leading agronomic professionals have joined Meristem Crop Performance, one of the fastest-growing crop input suppliers in America. Izaak Rathke becomes Meristem’s director of large farm business accounts and Jim Sitar becomes sales representative for the upper western Corn Belt.
  • Burger King and Cargill announce a partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the largest private conservation grant provider in the U.S., to support cattle ranchers committed to addressing climate change through regenerative agriculture practices in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. This five-year initiative with up to $5 million in funding, brings together two major beef brands dedicated to emissions reduction, reinforcing the important role beef and cattle play in helping the Great Plains thrive. The funding is expected to generate 1:1 matching contributions from NFWF, creating a total on-the-ground impact of up to $10 million.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first-ever comprehensive workplan to address the decades-old challenge of protecting endangered species from pesticides. The plan establishes four overall strategies and dozens of actions to adopt those protections while providing farmers, public health authorities, and others with access to pesticides.
  • Ceres Imaging, the precision agriculture data analytics company that combines AI with remote sensing technologies to increase farm profits, has announced that its Field Disease Risk product will be made available to growers as part of Evergreen’s Agtrinsic platform.
  • Nutrien Ag Solutions is partnering with corn, cotton and wheat growers to generate sustainable outcomes through a new Sustainable Nitrogen Outcomes (SNO) program. Growers will receive compensation for credits generated when using a suite of products that can increase productivity and reduce nitrogen application by at least five percent overall. The deadline for enrollment is now May 31.
  • FieldReveal, LLC announced an operating agreement with AgWorks, LLC which deepens their already-strong partnership that was announced in early 2020. This operating agreement harnesses robust leadership experience from both companies and delivers to FieldReveal, a strengthened and unified management team that is highly focused on the ever-evolving needs of ag retail companies across the country.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

CUTC is Back in Person

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) will once again host its biennial Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) in person, June 6-8 in Chesterfield, Missouri.

The conference answers the question of how can the industry produce more quality corn, build new markets and continue to create opportunities for agriculture. While the ag industry can often be the target of unfavorable attention, CUTC brings an optimistic and forward-thinking focus on corn production quality and new technologies to build greater corn demand. Productivity, adaption and resilience are key pillars at the forefront of 2022’s CUTC agenda.

Dr. Todd Werpy, senior vice president and chief science officer for ADM Company, will be the keynote speaker at the 2022 CUTC and will address growth opportunities for sustainable materials from corn.

Post Update:

CUTC 2022 has been canceled in-person.

Thank you for registering for the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference. There is a great community of science and business leaders that NCGA is committed to supporting but unfortunately, we had to make the decision to cancel the in-person event due to continuing travel complications in the wake of COVID. We will be refunding all registration fees and hotel arrangements will be automatically cancelled. We please ask you to stay tuned as we work on alternative plans to disseminate the quality information in the confirmed sessions.

Please watch your email for information on virtual CUTC sessions.

Corn, CUTC, NCGA

Animal Ag News 4/18

Carrie Muehling

  • House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott released a statement announcing the participation of the CEOs of Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS, and National Beef Packing for the House Agriculture Committee’s upcoming hearing on cattle markets.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting nominations for the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award through July 1. To submit a nomination, please send a letter to Dr. Denise Heard (dheard@uspoultry.org), vice president of research, that includes the nominee’s name, a brief description of the nominee’s research accomplishments and the impact of the research.
  • The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) recently held individual ribbon-cutting ceremonies for their newly renovated office space in Tucker, Georgia. The space is owned by “The Coop Group, LLC,” a partnership of USAPEEC and USPOULTRY.
  • Erik Weihenmayer has joined the Alltech ONE Conference keynote speaker lineup. Weihenmayer is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. Despite losing his vision at age 14, he is an accomplished climber, paraglider, skier and kayaker who never allows blindness to interfere with his passion for pursuing an exhilarating and fulfilling life.
  • Farm Journal Foundation is partnering with the Zoetis Foundation to launch a new program to surface solutions for relieving student debt in the veterinary industry, with the long-term goal of addressing shortages of veterinarians to work with farmers in rural areas. The new Veterinary Debt Solutions Program will convene leaders from across the livestock, academic, nonprofit, and veterinary sectors to address barriers that veterinarians face in building long-term careers in rural areas.
  • McLanahan Corporation announced Lori Lulich has joined its agricultural team as regional sales manager, serving the Midwest and Western United States.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattlemen’s Webinar Series continues on April 21 at 7:00 CDT. Register here to learn more about tools available to manage risk associated with drought.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites