RFA Ethanol Podcast

ZimmCast 671 – ARISE USA The Resurrection Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this program I’m sharing my conversation with Trent Loos, Loos Tales. He is participating in the ARISE USA The Resurrection Tour which is an educational non-profit tour seeking to unite all Americans regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability. It is a national conversation and civics dialog tour.

ARISE USA The Resurrection TourTrent Loos describes what it is all about as he is about to embark on this national tour to jump start a local dialogue. It could be the longest running (111 days) civics class in modern history. The ultimate objective is the restoration of integrity to all institutions: local, state, and national.

I have talked with a number of people in my area here in North Florida who all have been interested since they too see what is happening to our country and they don’t like it any more than I do. We need to bring God back into our lives, schools and businesses. We need people who will stand up for what has made America a great country and we need that to start on a very local level. Just sending out a few tweets or Facebook posts probably won’t get it done.

Find out more in the program and you can make donations to support the tour here.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 671 - ARISE USA The Resurrection Tour (29:24)

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. In case you didn’t know it you can find more podcasts we produce in all your favorite podcast apps. That includes the Golden ZimmComm Mic Podcast, The Ethanol Report, Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services and the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to them.

If you would like to advertise in the ZimmCast or become an on-going sponsor please let me know and we’ll work out a plan just for you.

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Audio, Freedom, Podcasts, ZimmCast

New Leadership for Bayer Crop Science Division

Cindy Zimmerman

Brett Begemann, left, and Rodrigo Santos

Bayer has announced that Brett Begemann is retiring as Chief Operating Officer, Crop Science effective June 8. Rodrigo Santos, currently Head of Crop Science Commercial Operations, Latin America, will succeed Begemann and assume global responsibility for the division’s commercial organization.

During his tenure with the company, Begemann held several global and regional leadership positions and had responsibility for global commercial and operations teams at Monsanto prior to the acquisition by Bayer. As President and Chief Operating Officer at Monsanto Company, he led global efforts to increase manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, as well as the company’s growth agenda.

Santos, a Brazilian national, has spent over 23 years with the company and has led the Latin American Crop Science business for Bayer since the integration of Monsanto and Bayer in 2018. Earlier in his career, Santos worked in sales, marketing, strategy and business development roles, including a leadership role in Eastern Europe.

Santos’ replacement as Head of Commercial Operations, Crop Science, Latin America, is Mauricio Rodrigues, currently Head of Finance, Crop Science, Latin America. The changes are effective June 8, 2021.

Agribusiness, Bayer

Animal Ag News 5/17

Carrie Muehling

  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has issued the industry’s first-ever U.S. Dairy Trade Principles on Environmental Sustainability, a critical and proactive step as the global community rallies around climate change and initiatives begin to impact international trade.
  • Ralco announced the groundbreaking for the Jon Knochenmus Center for Innovation in Marshall, Minnesota. The 13.6-acre site will be the hub for exploration of natural approaches to maximize nutrient conversion in both plants and animals. The center will integrate their chemical lab, multi-species animal research, diagnostic research, pilot lab, microbiology lab, and greenhouse all under one roof while cultivating growth and opportunities in Marshall.
  • Five Midwestern dairy groups that are evaluating solutions to federal milk pricing issues, which were aggravated by the pandemic, explained their comprehensive focus this week to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The groups — the Dairy Business Association, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Nebraska State Dairy Association and South Dakota Dairy Producers — said in a letter to Vilsack that if there were to be a Federal Milk Marketing Orders emergency hearing about reform, as some other organizations have called for, it’s important that it be broad in scope.
  • Waikato Milking Systems, a leading developer and manufacturer of dairy technology, and Nedap, a global leader in dairy herd management technology, have formed a new partnership and announce the launch of two new products. Waikato Milking Systems introduces its new cow monitoring system, CowTraQ, and its new TracHQ automation platform, both of which will be powered by Nedap.
  • This summer’s World Pork Expo is just around the corner. Thousands of media professionals and pork producers will gather at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, June 9-11. The Expo announced the lineup of this year’s seminars. All seminars are included with the price of admission.
  • An alliance created five years ago to support and promote farmers in their conservation efforts has reached a new level, with a broader focus, more innovative projects and an increasingly diverse set of partners. The group, formed in 2016 as the Dairy Strong Sustainability Alliance, announced its transformation into Farmers for Sustainable Food, a nonprofit organization that provides resources, advocacy, support and empowerment for farmers who are innovating and demonstrating sustainable farming practices.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Bayer Plans 5th Youth Ag Summit as Virtual Event

Cindy Zimmerman

Applications are now open for the 2021 Youth Ag Summit, a global forum for young leaders to develop sustainable solutions for food security and global agriculture. The summit will be virtual this year with the overall theme of “Feeding a Hungry Planet.”

While this is the 5th biennial Youth Ag Summit, it will be the first virtual YAS event. This year’s cohort will also benefit from another exciting YAS first. As an official global partner with Bayer for this year’s forum, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), in partnership with technology company Babele, will also provide a virtual idea incubator called YAS University where delegates will continue to learn entrepreneurship and leadership skills, receive coaching from mentors, and improve their own “Thrive for Change” project concepts throughout a 10-week period following the November summit.

Application for the 2021 Youth Ag Summit is open to young people of any background aged 18-25. Potential delegates will be asked to share their motivation to join the summit, their previous advocacy experience and a 3-minute video pitch explaining their project idea on “How to feed a hungry planet.” Applicants should be personally, professionally, and academically interested in agriculture, international development, environmental stewardship, food security, biotechnology, and/or farming.

To apply for the Youth Ag Summit 2021, please visit www.youthagsummit.com.

Bayer

Industry Ag News 5/14

Carrie Muehling

  • The Seam, a leading provider of food and agribusiness software and commodity trading solutions, announced that Coastal Growers and Tifton Peanut Company have entered into multi-year agreements for its cloud-based, peanut management platform.
  • FarmOp Capital, LLC, a leading provider of innovative working capital solutions to American farmers, announced a core staff expansion resulting from increased demand for its operating loans and a new corporate office location. Following strong expansion in its business, the company is expanding its core team. During the previous six months, the company added several new positions across multiple areas including customer relationship management, credit administration, marketing, and accounting. With the addition of new team members FarmOp Capital will be better positioned to meet the increased demand for its crop-based financing solutions.
  • At its 12th Annual Executive Leadership Conference, Growth Energy unveiled a new consumer initiative to raise awareness of biofuels’ positive environmental benefits and encourage consumers to choose higher biofuel blends like E15 at the pump. Through a series of targeted digital content, advertising, and digital media, the Get Biofuel campaign aligns biofuel benefits to an empowerment message titled “Fuel Beyond”.
  • Leading nutrition expert Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted was announced as the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate for her achievements in pioneering fish-based food systems to improve nutrition, health and livelihoods for millions around the world.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission is hosting a photo contest May 12-Oct. 1, 2021, to fill the pages of the 2022 Georgia Peanut Calendar. Photos will also be selected to be used in various promotional projects by GPC throughout the year. Peanut farmers from across Georgia are encouraged to submit their best high-resolution photo of peanut production on their farm. Visit www.gapeanuts.com for complete details.
  • Ag mentors come from all backgrounds. Some are more traditional, like our parents, grandparents, FFA leaders or ag teachers. Others are unconventional, like the random ag leader that showed up in your urban classroom. Regardless of who your mentor was, your story is special, and Syngenta wants to hear it, share it and celebrate you both through the#RootedinAg Contest. Now accepting entries, contest participants are asked to share the story of who inspired them to be #RootedinAg. In exchange, they have a chance to honor that person and win prizes. Go to syngentathrive.com/contest to review eligibility and fill out the brief #RootedinAg entry form.
  • Sean Cain, who joined Morton Buildings as a construction worker and has since advanced over a distinguished 25-year career, has been named president of the company.
  • Michael Torrey Associates, a leading Washington, D.C.-based firm that offers effective government relations, strategic communications and issue advocacy to the food, agriculture, and forestry sector announced the new addition of James Glueck as vice president to its policy team.
  • The board of directors for CoverCress Inc., a company aiming to commercialize the nation’s first “cash cover crop,” has named Mike DeCamp as its new president and CEO and a member of the board. DeCamp takes the helm after one year of serving as chief operating officer. CoverCress Inc. is converting field pennycress, a native winter annual, into a new winter oilseed crop for Midwest farmers under the CoverCress™ brand.



Zimfo Bytes

Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 8

Cindy Zimmerman

This episode of the Daugherty Water for Food podcast features Qiao Hu, a Ph.D. student studying natural resource sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, who discusses his research using drones (UAVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) for wetlands management.

Qiao’s faculty advisor and DWFI Faculty Fellow Zhenghong Tang is a professor in the Community and Regional Planning Program and Landscape Architecture Program at UNL, as well as a courtesy professor in the School of Natural Resources, also joins the conversation. Both discuss the importance of wetlands to our ecosystem and how we can improve our management of them.

Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 8 23:09

How to subscribe:

Audio, Environment, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Meet the #NAMA21 Keynote Speakers

Chuck Zimmerman

#NAMA21You can now meet the keynote speakers at this year’s Agri-Marketing Conference. Check them out online here.

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has a wide range of options to help you get maximum exposure with agri-marketing leaders in 2021. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org. Find a list of current opportunities on the website.

And for more information on exhibiting at the Connection Point, email sherryp@nama.org. Don’t wait, secure your spot today! Visit the Connection Point website.

Marketing, NAMA

Precision Ag News 5/12

Carrie Muehling

  • Several challenges prevent farmers from collecting and sharing data on their production practices, but there is ample opportunity to empower farmer’s digital transition, according to new research from Farm Journal’s initiative, Trust In Food, and The Sustainability Consortium. View the full report here.
  • Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. announced that BIOSt Nematicide seed treatment product, achieved an outstanding climate impact score of 9.8 out of 10. The Climate Impact Study showed that BIOSt Nematicide reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85 percent in soybeans and 87 percent in corn compared with conventional pesticides. The independent study, conducted by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics, assessed GHG emissions, human and environmental safety, and product performance against similar conventional and biological pesticides used in seed treatment.
  • For model year 2022, John Deere has redefined its lineup of 5M Series Tractors by adding new technology and transmission options, and more top-end horsepower by welcoming a new 125-horsepower tractor to the lineup.
  • AZterknot™ fungicide from Vive Crop Protection received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently. AZterknot fungicide is the world’s first three-way fungicide combination that harnesses the benefits of biologicals, the performance of chemistry and the ease of Allosperse®. Allosperse is proprietary nano-polymer technology developed by Vive Crop Protection that allows previously incompatible products to be mixed and applied in one application, reducing fuel, time and water usage.
  • Yara announced the commercial launch of Agoro Carbon Alliance, a global business created for farmers to earn additional revenue through positive climate action. By adopting climate-positive practices, farmers can produce Farm Carbon Credits or climate-smart certified crops while helping to decarbonize food supply chains. Agoro Carbon puts farmers at the center of the solution by incentivizing and enabling them to change practices and connecting them to the growing number of businesses looking for ways to achieve their climate pledges.
  • Raven Industries, Inc. announced the launch of its new product brand and autonomous growth platform, OMNi. This new product brand highlights Raven’s advancements in autonomous solutions for agriculture with a strategic offering of two integrated products: OMNiDRIVE™ and OMNiPOWER™.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Yara Launches Agoro Carbon Alliance

Cindy Zimmerman

Crop nutrition solutions provider Yara today announced the commercial launch of Agoro Carbon Alliance, created for farmers to earn additional revenue through positive climate action.

By adopting climate-positive practices, farmers can produce Farm Carbon Credits or climate-smart certified crops while helping to decarbonize food supply chains. Agoro Carbon puts farmers at the center of the solution by incentivizing and enabling them to change practices and connecting them to the growing number of businesses looking for ways to achieve their climate pledges.

Agoro Carbon will provide agronomical support for farmers to help them successfully sequester carbon in the soil and reduce emissions from the field, in turn, generating high-quality, third-party certified carbon credits. Farmers who join Agoro Carbon can therefore generate an additional sustainability income from carbon cropping while maintaining or increasing crop yields.

Agoro Carbon Alliance has registered farmers across Iowa, Nebraska, and Washington to participate in the first Agoro Carbon projects which will deliver Farm Based Carbon Credits in 2021. Anastasia Pavlovic, Managing Director, Agoro Carbon Alliance US, says, “This is an amazing opportunity to support growers across the US as stewards of their land to build resilient farms for future generations. We know these changes aren’t easy for our growers and we are excited to bring additional income, practical support and help them mitigate risk as partners every step of the way.” Farmer enrollment for the 2022 growing season will begin this June.

Yara invites farmers, retailers and distributors, cooperatives, technology providers, lenders, insurers and the food industry to join the Agoro Carbon Alliance. Yara will host a virtual introduction event on June 8 to formally unveil details of Agoro Carbon, with additional information on how to get involved. Those interested can learn more by registering for the event at www.yara.com/agoro/.

carbon, Precision Agriculture, Soil

Animal Ag News 5/10

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced that an African Swine Fever Virus vaccine candidate has been adapted to grow in a cell line, which means that those involved in vaccine production will no longer have to rely on live pigs and their fresh cells for vaccine production.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) announced promotions for six staff who have gone above and beyond in serving AFIA’s members and making the association’s programs and processes more efficient and impactful. For more information, see AFIA’s staff directory.
  • The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) announced the addition of Lara Moody as its new executive director, effective April 30.
  • During this challenging year, Wisconsin dairy farmers were deemed essential workers, committed to their communities by working every day to provide nutritious dairy products to help feed Americans, and this June is the time to honor them during National Dairy Month. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin invites consumers to observe National Dairy Month by buying local dairy products to support the farmers who make Wisconsin America’s Dairyland and take pride in caring for their animals while preserving family farmland for future generations.
  • Professionals in the pork industry will be the first to have access to the latest production and management strategies at this year’s World Pork Expo. This year’s line-up of PORK Academy and Business Seminars gives producers the opportunity to learn more about topics such as sustainability, data, industry collaborations, nutrition and more. Visitors can find these seminars, networking opportunities, the world’s largest pork trade show and more at the 2021 World Pork Expo, presented by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), taking place June 9-11 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • More than 70 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai seeking her support for enhanced Vietnamese market access for U.S. pork. Vietnam represents a tremendous opportunity for U.S. pork exports, and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) appreciates the tremendous support for one of its top trade priorities.
  • Leaders of the National Beef Checkoff Petition Committee sent a letter to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB)) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking their assistance in offering more U.S. cattle producers the opportunity to sign the petition for a referendum of the beef checkoff program. There has not been a referendum of the mandatory National Beef Checkoff Program in 35 years. Addressed to CBB chair Hugh Sanburg, and the USDA official that oversees the government-controlled national beef checkoff program, Kahl Sesker, the letter asks the two officials to share their electronic databases of persons whose contact information the CBB and USDA have captured through their Web-based platforms as well as the database the CBB and USDA uses to conduct their annual producer attitude survey.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites