Vilsack Stresses Climate Smart Agriculture at #AFBF22

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stressed the role of farmers and ranchers in addressing climate change issues during an address Monday at the American Farm Bureau Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Vilsack said he is excited about a new partnership between USDA and Farmers For Soil Health, an initiative of the United Soybean Board, National Corn Growers Association and National Pork Board. “We’re announcing a goal of doubling the number of cover crop acres to 30 million acres by 2030,” said Vilsack.

To complement the new partnership, NRCS is investing $38 million through the new targeted Cover Crop Initiative in 11 states to help agricultural producers mitigate climate change through the widespread adoption of cover crops. States include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and South Dakota.

The secretary also addressed trade issues and livestock marketing concerns.

Listen to Vilsack’s remarks, preceded by recorded comments from President Joe Biden.
AFBF22 Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack remarks (33:45)

AFBF, Audio, USDA

Farm Bureau Honors Former Ag Secretary

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Farm Bureau Federation honored former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue with its annual Distinguished Service Award yesterday at the annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Perdue was honored for his seven decades of service to agriculture including serving as secretary of agriculture from 2017-2021, where he led USDA’s implementation of the 2018 farm bill. Under his leadership, the department’s notable accomplishments included launching the Market Facilitation Program to provide financial assistance to farmers during trade disputes, development of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and the Farmers to Families Food Box Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the creation of ReConnect, a rural broadband initiative.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) sat down for a chat with the former Secretary Perdue Sunday on the Cultivation Center Stage at the convention trade show. Sen. Marshall discussed a number of topics with the former secretary, including one of his latest ventures as an investor and board member in the indoor vertical farming company Kalera. “Kalera is part of a new era of controlled-environment agriculture,” said Perdue. “This idea is to take industrial sites and do a controlled inside agriculture and grow lettuce and micro greens around metro areas.”

The two also discussed the Farm Bureau convention, farm bill implementation, and President Trump.
AFBF22 Sen. Roger Marshall and Sonny Perdue (21:49)

AFBF, Audio

Industry Ag News 1/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Agri-Pulse is pleased to host a free webinar on “Digging into the ag export supply chain crisis and how to fix it” on Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
  • Farmers are encouraged to respond to the USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). Phase II of the work has been extended to January 14. The survey asks about production practices and data from corn producers. Your response helps ensure corn growers are represented in key research and analysis by USDA. This portion of the survey asks questions about fertilizer, pesticide, cropping practice and technology management.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the details and coverage of the new crop insurance Post Application Coverage Endorsement, or PACE, for non-irrigated corn. Farmers in select counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible for the endorsement.
  • Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board (USB) announced a new strategic plan that prioritizes sustainable soy solutions for global and domestic customers while ensuring value and profitability for U.S. soybean farmers. The seating of the new Chair and Executive Committee at its December meeting included appointments of the Supply and Demand Action Team leads, Priority Area coordinators and Communication & Education Committee chair, among other key roles within the organization.
  • Farmers and people in rural areas are more comfortable talking about stress and mental health challenges with others, and stigma around seeking help or treatment has decreased in rural and farm communities but is still a factor, according to a new research poll from the American Farm Bureau Federation.
  • Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, announced that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire BASF’s U.S. Attapulgite business assets for USD 60 million in cash, including the signing of a long-term supply agreement for attapulgite-based products to BASF. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in summer 2022.
  • Spaces are marked, pavilions are built, and World Ag Expo® is ready to be “Back in AgTion” February 8-10 in Tulare, CA. Tickets are on sale now at https://bit.ly/WAE22Tickets. Show officials note confidence in the event with 94% of spaces sold as of January 3 and domestic and international ticket sales trending at 2020 levels.
  • The Propane Education & Research Council is offering double incentives of up to $10,000 toward eligible propane-powered equipment for agricultural operations directly impacted by the Kansas wildfires or December tornado outbreak — reaching Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. For a limited time, affected producers who apply for the Propane Farm Incentive Program can earn double the incentive amount for qualifying propane-powered equipment—including irrigation engines, building/water heating systems, power generators, and flame weeding systems.
Zimfo Bytes

BASF Honors Cotton Specialist of the Year

Cindy Zimmerman

Kansas State University Extension Specialist Stu Duncan was presented with the Cotton Specialist of the Year Award by BASF this week at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

Voted on by cotton specialists in the 17 states where cotton is grown, this highly-esteemed award is based on several considerations, including exceptional leadership and outstanding industry service.

“Saw my first cotton plants in my aunt’s garden in the ’60s,” said Duncan. “Really, my specialty was wheat and soybeans, row crops in Kansas.” But once Kansas cotton production started taking off, Duncan dove right in and became part of the cotton family and just retired last year.

BASF is proud to sponsor the award to honor the work of outstanding cotton specialists. “Over the years that I have gotten to know these guys, they are a tight knit group,” said Tim Culpepper, BASF Regional Agronomist. “It’s like his family saying we love you and respect you.”

Listen to interviews with Stu and Tim below:

BWCC22 Interview with Stu Duncan, Cotton Specialist (2:47)

BWCC22 Interview with Tim Culpepper, BASF (2:19)

2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Passing of Ed Czerwien

Cindy Zimmerman

Well-known cattle market analyst Ed Czerwien, 70, Amarillo, passed away January 3 after fighting ALS for more than three years.

Ed is an emeritus member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and was a Livestock & Grain Market News Reporter for the USDA in Amarillo, TX until he retired. After retiring, he started up CZ Cattle Market Analytics and also wrote articles for a couple of publications. Throughout his long career, he received numerous FFA and National Market News Association awards, as well as awards from the USDA and the State of Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Ed is survived by his wife, Mary, sons Terry (Ivy) and Kurt (Sharon) Czerwien, daughter Christy Czerwien, and four grandchildren. According to the family, a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Livestock, NAFB, obituariess

Precision Ag News 1/5

Carrie Muehling

  • During a press conference at CES 2022, John Deere revealed a fully autonomous tractor that’s ready for large-scale production. The machine combines Deere’s 8R tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced technologies. The autonomous tractor will be available to farmers later this year.
  • The regenerative agriculture consulting group, Understanding Ag, LLC, announced its new, online course providing practical insights and techniques on adaptive grazing is now available. The course is specifically tailored for farmers and ranchers seeking to improve their pastures and profit margins.
  • CNH Industrial officially commences 2022 trading on the New York Stock Exchange in the United States and Borsa Italiana’s Euronext Milan in Italy as a fully focused agriculture and construction player. As the parent company to globally respected agriculture and construction brands and the innovations and services that drive them, CNH Industrial is committed to delivering value to its shareholders and stakeholders.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Cotton Trust Protocol Update

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol recently celebrated one-year since its official launch in 2020. The Trust Protocol brings quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics– land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

National Cotton Council president and CEO Dr. Gary Adams, who is also president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, says the program was created to set a new standard in more sustainable cotton and help brands and retailers meet their needs. “We’re going to have brands and retailers joining the program and looking to meet their sourcing commitments through sustainable sources,” said Adams. “We want the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol to be one of the programs on their list.”

Gary Adams, President/CEO, National Cotton Council, and President, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
BWCC22 Interview with Gary Adams, NCC (5:21)

In its first year, the Trust Protocol welcomed more than 465 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members and secured 950,000 bales of cotton into the system.

“This is not just for the growers, it’s for the entire industry,” said Program Enrollment Manager Ken Burton. “Brands and retailers want to make impact claims, and through our growers, this data will provide that information to make those claims.”

The program is voluntary and all of the data is aggregated so no personal information is disclosed. “And it’s not region versus region or state versus state,” he said. “That aggregate form is from the Carolinas to California.”

Ken Burton, Program Enrollment Manager, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
BWCC22 Interview with Ken Burton, Cotton Trust Protocol (4:35)

Find more audio and photos in the Beltwide Virtual Newsroom

2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Sustainability

Carbon a Topic at Cotton Consultants Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The consultants conference kicked off the first day of the live and in-person 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences this week in San Antonio.

National Cotton Council Vice President for Technical Services Don Parker discussed the science of carbon sequestration for the consultants and the differences between measuring the carbon and improving farming practices. “It’s got an excellent future for us,” said Parker. “If the government leads the initiative to create some of these credits, it can be based on some of these practices.”

Listen to an interview with Parker below, and find more audio and photos in the Beltwide Virtual Newsroom

BWCC22 Interview with Don Parker, NCC (4:13)

2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, carbon, Cotton

Benson Hill Acquires Iowa Soy Processing Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Benson Hill, Inc. today announced the acquisition of ZFS Creston, LLC, an established food grade white flake and soy flour manufacturing operation in southwest Iowa for approximately $102 million. The investment fulfills a final step in Benson Hill’s ability to convert its proprietary soybeans into value-added soy protein ingredients for the underserved human and pet food categories.

“The acquisition of ZFS Creston, combined with our proprietary Ultra-High Protein soybean varieties, positions Benson Hill to deliver a portfolio of improved ingredients as an innovative unlock to bottlenecks in the rapidly growing but capacity-constrained plant-based movement,” said Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “This acquisition advances our integrated business model as a more efficient route to market with a smaller footprint that better aligns with consumer preferences, enabling us to harness the genetic potential of plants and help scale the growth of plant-based markets.”

The Creston operation is equipped to produce soy meal and oil, as well as food-grade soy white flake, flour, and grits, which can be marketed as ingredients or used as raw material for further production of concentrates, isolates and textured protein products. Acquiring the soy white flake capacity of Creston in lieu of building the capacity through capex investment positions the Company to immediately offer more sustainable ingredients within the broad human food market, which includes plant-based meat, meat extension, bakery, cereal and snack, fermentation and the pet food market. Further, Benson Hill’s identity preservation program leverages deep farmer relationships to provide traceable and more sustainable ingredients for both existing and new customers. The Creston, Iowa facility is also geographically complementary to Benson Hill’s soy crushing facility acquired last year in Seymour, Indiana.

Benson Hill representatives held a conference call to talk about the acquisition. Participating in the call were:
Ruben Mella, Senior Director, Investor Relations; Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer; Bruce Bennett, President, Ingredients; and DeAnn Brunts, Chief Financial Officer.

Benson Hill news call (21:09)

Audio, Food, Soybean

Start the New Year Right with Beltwide Cotton

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Cotton Council is pleased to kick off the new year with the 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 4-6, live and in person at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Texas.

Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands on workshops and seminars are designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions. A dynamic program, along with the opportunity to network with peers from across the Cotton Belt, separate this conference from all others in agriculture. This conference will be educational, as well as enjoyable.

NCC’s Manager for Marketing & Processing Technology Lauren Krogman provides a preview of the event in this interview.
Interview with Lauren Krogman, NCC (5:30)

Click here for the Beltwide Cotton Conferences Virtual Newsroom

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton