SIMPAS-applied Solutions Adds First Liquid Formulation

Cindy Zimmerman

AMVAC® announces its iNvigorate® Biological is the first liquid product available for application using the SIMPAS® system on corn and soybeans.

iNvigorate – developed by Agrinos®, now an American Vanguard® Company – is part of AMVAC’s expanding line of biological and Green Solutions products. iNvigorate creates a highly productive microbial community when applied to the soil, assisting in nutrient uptake, improving fertilizer efficiency and optimizing root growth.

iNvigorate is the latest addition to a growing portfolio of SIMPAS-applied Solutions™ (SaS™), which are solutions – both granular and liquid – prescriptively applied with patented SmartCartridge® container technology to address unique agronomic needs. SIMPAS enables farmers to precisely apply rates of crop inputs that their trusted advisor prescribes, by management zone. Multiple SaS products including insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, and micronutrients are delivered simultaneously in-furrow during planting using SIMPAS equipment available through select Trimble® dealers.

“iNvigorate optimizes root growth to boost plant access to and absorption of available nutrients,” said Jim Lappin, Director of SIMPAS Portfolio and Alliances at AMVAC. “iNvigorate is a proprietary consortium of microbes that growers will be able to target to challenged areas of their fields to mitigate plant stress and improve soil health. Now combined with the prescriptive application capabilities of SIMPAS and a growing SIMPAS-applied Solutions portfolio, growers will have more options as AMVAC brings both granular and liquid solutions into the SaS portfolio. iNvigorate SmartCartridge is poised to play an important role in the vitality and vigor of a corn or soybean farmer’s soil.”

AgWired Precision, AMVAC, Corn, Crop Protection, Precision Agriculture, Soybean

UPFIELD GROUP Announces New Vice President

Cindy Zimmerman

The UPFIELD GROUP, owners of Cooler Management, are pleased to announce their new Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Melissa Malcolm-Cullison.

Malcolm-Cullison most recently served as Director, National Sales and Field Marketing at the Milk Processors Education program (MilkPEP), responsible for the national got milk? campaign. In this previous role for 12 years, she oversaw industry relations, retail partnerships and the development of fresh milk’s path forward in America’s food banks.

She has spent the past 6 years concentrating on hunger relief programs in partnership with the USDA, Feeding America, Dairy Management Inc. and the National Dairy Council, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds in donated and purchased dairy products. She has built programs like The Great American Milk Drive, the first of its kind national consumer donation program for fresh fluid milk and supported the roll-out and adoption of USDA’s first fresh milk commodity purchase programs under TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program).

Taking on the new role of Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Malcolm-Cullison first initiatives will be leading the charge on serving our non-profit partners to build the proper refrigeration infrastructure that is required to maximize donations of fresh food, minimize food waste and transport fresh foods to areas that are severely underserved.

Agribusiness, Dairy, Equipment, Food

Field Notes From Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 16

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (Koch) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

The experts we’ve heard from on our previous episodes have covered topics ranging from how different crops use nitrogen to the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship and how growers and retailers work together to choose the best input for an operation. If you haven’t checked out the previous episodes, you can find them on your favorite podcast platform.

Research and Innovation from Koch Agronomic Services

In this episode, we’ll focus on research and innovation. You’ll hear from Tim Laatsch, director of agronomy for North America for Koch Agronomic Services, and Jeremiah Roeth, chief executive officer of aerialPLOT. The two discuss how growers can know when research is credible, why peer-reviewed studies are considered the gold standard and what new research tools are in the fields right now.

You can listen to the program here: Research and Innovation (18:40)

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil

MN Soybean Leaders Attend Biodiesel Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Minnesota soybean and biodiesel industry leaders had a chance to attend last week’s National Biodiesel Conference on behalf of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council’s (MSR&PC) See For Yourself program.

After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, the NBB See For Yourself program returns in 2022, and industry leaders are ready to get back on track to continue learning about the growing biodiesel industry. With Minnesota having one of the largest impacts in the push for biodiesel, MSR&PC understands the value of engaging with industry leaders about how checkoff dollars are invested. The See For Yourself program gives individuals the ability to see firsthand what MSR&PC is doing to make a difference in Minnesota and how biodiesel makes a huge impact for the profitability of soybean farmers.

Among those who attended were MSR&PC farmer board members Jim Willers and Ron Obermoller, Nick Bredeson with Kibble Equipment and Dan Schmidt, Ag Partners Coop. We had a chance to chat with them and get their reactions to what they saw for themselves at the biodiesel conference.

NBB2022 Interview with Jim Willers, MN Soy (2:55)

NBB2022 Interview with Nick Bredeson, Kibble Equipment, MN Soy (1:50)

NBB2022 Interview with Dan Schmidt, Ag Partners Coop, MN Soy (2:25)

NBB2022 Interview with Ron Obermoller, MN Soy (4:20)

Audio, Biodiesel, Soybean

ZimmCast 684 – Talking with Mike Adams

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

Recently retired farm broadcaster Mike Adams was honored by the biodiesel industry last week at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. Adams was presented with the Biodiesel Impact Award.

“As I look back, I remember those soy diesel days,” said Adams. “It made so much sense to me I couldn’t understand why anyone would ever be against either ethanol or biodiesel.”

During the conference I sat down with Mike to talk about his career and the award.

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

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 684 - Talking with Mike Adams (19:49)

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, Biodiesel, ZimmCast

Animal Ag News 1/24

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Farm Bureau Federation announced its support of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021, with the exception of the bill’s establishment of mandatory minimums for negotiated purchases.
  • The Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) returns May 22 – 24, 2022, to unite changemakers and thought leaders in a collaborative exploration of solutions within agri-business and beyond.
  • John Deere is showcasing a variety of equipment and technology catered to today’s cattlemen, along with the latest information of interest to you and your producer audiences, at the 2022 NCBA Trade Show, Feb. 1-3 in Houston.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative President Brody Stapel was re-elected during the co-op’s annual business meeting at the Dairy Strong conference. Brody Stapel of Double Dutch Dairy in Cedar Grove, Wis., who has been Edge president since 2018, will continue in that role. Stapel owns and operates the farm with his brother and father.
  • Attendees at the National Bison Association’s 26th annual Winter Conference at the Renaissance Central Park Hotel in Denver this week caught a glimpse of a new documentary film highlighting the contribution that ranchers, tribal leaders and conservationists are making to the restoration of this species. The feature trailer for NATIVE: The Prodigies of an Icon, aired during the bison association’s annual meeting.
  • Continuing on the legacy of customer-centric technical service, Valley Vet Supply welcomed Tony Hawkins, DVM, to its longstanding Technical Service veterinarian team.
  • CattleFax has introduced its annual Cow-Calf Survey. Information requested in the survey provides participants and the rest of the industry with valuable data regarding industry benchmarks and trends.
  • Taco Bell is continuing its run of dairy-based beverages thanks to dairy checkoff support. The chain released the Island Berry Freeze that uses a shelf-stable creamer created by dairy checkoff scientists. It is Taco Bell’s third beverage launch featuring the dairy creamer, beginning with the Pineapple Whip Freeze in May of 2020 and the Mountain Dew® Baja Blast® Colada Freeze last May.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 1/21

Carrie Muehling

  • Don’t miss the American Seed Trade Association‘s fastest growing and most international event – the Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, Jan. 28 – Feb. 1 in San Diego. Virtual and in-person attendance options are available.
  • Appropriations from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in 2021 with bipartisan support, will soon be funding upgrades to infrastructure projects important to corn growers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would allocate $2.2 billion from the infrastructure legislation to repair and update locks along the Upper Mississippi River System.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation will host the 2022 Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, Feb. 25-28, at the Omni Louisville Hotel.
  • The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is making agriculture education resources more accessible to classrooms across the country. Thanks to generous support from Nationwide, the Ag Foundation opened applications this week for education grants that will empower educators with more accurate information about agriculture. Three hundred educators will be selected to receive educator packs that include one copy of the Ag Foundation’s 2022 Book of the Year, “How to Grow a Monster,” one copy of the accompanying educator guide, and a set of 30 school garden ag mags for educational use.
  • The National Farm Machinery Show announced attendee registration shifts from required to voluntary for the 56th annual show February 16-19, 2022. With less than 30 days until the nation’s largest indoor farm equipment show, the decision to continue with voluntary registration removes any challenge accessing the show floor to network, experience seminars and conduct business.
  • The Progressive Agriculture Foundation® announced the election of its executive committee as well as the appointment of three new members to its board of directors for 2022 during the board’s triannual meeting. Frank Dowdle with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension system was re-elected to serve as the chairperson. Jeanette Dame with TC Energy and Tyrone Gentry with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension were re-elected to serve as the vice-chairperson and secretary, respectively. Joining the Foundation’s board of directors’ executive committee is Brittany Jablonsky with Farm Credit Council elected to serve as treasurer. New board members appointed include Kayla Hinrichs, Robert Marshall, and Jose Perez.
  • Registration is now open online for the IFAJ World Congress 2022 – Smarter Farming and Food Production for Green and Sustainable Growth, hosted by the Danish Food and Agricultural Journalists. The main IFAJ 2022 Congress will take place in Denmark from June 27 to July 3 in Vingsted.
Zimfo Bytes

Biodiesel Industry Honors Mike Adams

Cindy Zimmerman

Recently retired farm broadcaster Mike Adams was honored by the biodiesel industry this week at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. Adams was presented with the Biodiesel Impact Award.

“As I look back, I remember those soy diesel days,” said Adams. “It made so much sense to me I couldn’t understand why anyone would ever be against either ethanol or biodiesel.”

“I appreciate, as we’re here in Las Vegas, those early pioneers who took the gamble and stepped out and made the commitment to get this industry started,” he said.

Adams retired last month after nearly 50 years behind the microphone. He has been a well-known face at national ethanol and biodiesel conferences over the past 20 years as host of daytime nationally syndicated agriculture talk shows Agri-Talk and Adams on Agriculture.

Adams is a past recipient of the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year award, past NAFB President and a member of the NAFB Hall of Fame.

Mike Adams, retired farm broadcaster, Impact Award Recipient Remarks
Mike Adams Remarks (4:20)

Audio, Biodiesel, NAFB

Precision Ag News 1/20

Carrie Muehling

  • Bayer announced the launch of Testing4Ag, a new program which allows research scientists from around the world to submit novel chemistries to Bayer for testing in hopes of identifying potential new modes of action to control fungal diseases, insect pests, or weeds. Testing4Ag, a part of Bayer’s Open4Ag partnership development and innovation approach, seeks to develop the newest generation of crop protection products that safely and sustainably address the changing needs of producers.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $225 million in available funding for conservation partners through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP is a partner-driven program that leverages collective resources to find solutions to address natural resource challenges on agricultural land. This year’s funding announcements include opportunities for projects that address climate change, benefit historically underserved producers and support urban agriculture.
  • Insignum AgTech and Verility Inc., two companies founded by Purdue University alumni, have received $100,000 each from the Purdue Ag-Celerator, an agriculture innovation fund.
  • Reversing decades of practice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking meaningful action to further the Agency’s compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when evaluating and registering new pesticide active ingredients (AIs). Effective Jan. 11, 2022, before EPA registers any new conventional AI, the Agency will evaluate the potential effects of the AI on federally threatened or endangered species, and their designated critical habitats, and initiate ESA consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate.
  • David Hula, the world record holder for corn yield, has done it again, posting a tremendous yield of more than 600 bushels/acre in the 2021 NCGA National Corn Yield Contest. Hula used five BRANDT products on this year’s 602 bushel/acre crop.
  • At the company’s annual Winter Conference, Precision Planting, LLC, revealed projects focused on improving the operation and data collection of sprayers. As a dominant player in planting technologies, this announcement marks the company’s first move into sprayer technology.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a 60-day comment period requesting public comments on the sixth proposed rule in an ongoing series of revisions to the pesticide crop grouping regulations. The comment period for the proposed rule will be open in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766 at www.regulations.gov.
  • Heliae® Agriculture announced the award of 80 acres worth of PhycoTerra® soil microbial food to Joe Sperfslage, a no-till grower from Coggin, Iowa. The prize was announced at the 30th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, where PhycoTerra® was a title sponsor.
  • America’s Cultivation Corridor announced its new slate of board officers for the 2022-23 leadership term. Cory Reed, President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, John Deere, will serve as chair of the board of directors. Kevin Rasmussen, Owner of Owl Lake Production Company and board member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, will serve as vice-chair; and Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University, will serve as secretary.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

EarthDaily Agro Announced at VISION Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

At the 2022 Precision Ag VISION Conference this week, EarthDaily Analytics announced the rebranding of its Geosys division to EarthDaily Agro and released a new, next generation software platform.

“Geosys has been a pioneer in the agriculture data and analytics space for more than 30 years,” said Dave Gebhardt, General Manager of EarthDaily Agro. “The new Geosys platform is just as visionary — it’s unlike anything else out there right now in terms of data, speed, reach and ability to fully integrate customized scientific-grade data and insights directly into customers’ systems and workflows. By combining satellite imaging and advanced analytics to effectively mitigate risk and increase efficiency, we are enabling more sustainable outcomes for the organizations and people who feed the planet.”

The well-known Geosys brand will live on as the name of EarthDaily Agro’s next-generation software platform — a platform that is easier to use and offers more flexibility, faster speed and greater scale — to provide more customers with more data in more markets in agriculture. The new platform will be rolled out over the course of the first quarter 2022.

In addition to its role as a presenting sponsor at VISION, EarthDaily Agro hosted a virtual media roundtable to share the news and discuss how decision-makers in the AgTech industry can use the new platform to tackle some of the world’s most challenging issues.

Learn more in this interview with Gebhardt.
VISION 2022 interview with Dave Gebhardt, EarthDaily Agro 3:02

AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture