2025 Agri-Marketing Conference

Industry Ag News 11/1

Carrie Muehling

  • Farm Foundation has added a book award to its prestigious roster of annual awards. The Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award is open to a non-fiction English language work focused on food and/or agriculture published within the last 24 months.
  • International development and research investments create benefits on multiple fronts, including improving climate resilience, food trade, infrastructure, farmers’ access to finance, and global nutrition, particularly for women, according to speakers at the event on Wednesday, hosted by Farm Journal Foundation on the sidelines of this year’s World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The event, titled Avoiding a Collision: How We Can Both Nourish and Preserve Our World, covered the tension between how farmers and the agricultural industry can continue to nourish a growing global population while also helping to mitigate climate change.
  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) announced the 2024 Rising Stars, a group of top-performing emerging leaders in the agricultural retail industry, and a new Fan Favorite social media challenge. The ARA Rising Stars award program, sponsored by Atticus, is a meaningful way for ARA member companies to recognize employees for their work in front of hundreds of industry professionals at the annual ARA Conference & Expo and to explore new ways to hone leadership skills. This year’s award theme is Empowering Leadership through the Next Frontier, which guides the videos created by each Rising Star.
  • Four outstanding agriculture advocates were recently announced by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The 2024 GO Teamers of the Year are Laura Haffner from Kansas, Julie Hardy from Georgia, and Renee McPherson and Linda Pryor from North Carolina. These outstanding individuals have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advocating for farmers and ranchers through a variety of impactful activities.
  • Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler were honored as the 2024 World Food Prize Laureates for their work in preserving and protecting the world’s heritage of crop biodiversity and mobilizing this resource to defend against threats to global food security. Over the past 50 years, their combined efforts have succeeded in engaging governments, scientists, farmers and civil society towards the conservation of over 6,000 species of crops and culturally important plants.
  • The Charleston Orwig Collective excitedly shares its president and CEO, Marcy Tessmann, has been named a 2025 Wisconsin Titan 100 by The Titan 100 program. The Titan 100 gives this prestigious award to Wisconsin’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities for Florida producers impacted by Hurricane Milton and more than $92 million for livestock producers, nationwide, who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to 2022 qualifying drought and wildfire. The payments for Milton-impacted Florida producers are for those who have Federal crop insurance coverage through the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement and the Tropical Storm (TS) option.
  • Syngenta Group announced financial results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2024. Sales for the third quarter 2024 were $6.8 billion, flat compared to the prior year period. Syngenta Crop Protection sales were 16 percent lower at $9.5 billion in the first nine months of 2024. Seeds sales were $3.2 billion in the first nine months of 2024, down two percent year-on-year.
  • Ken Bader, longtime head of the American Soybean Association, died November 26 in Chesterfield, Missouri at the age of 90. Bader led ASA for 16 years, from 1976 to 1992, and his work led to the creation of the national soy checkoff and United Soybean Board.
  • Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award. The state winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Tifton, Georgia. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF.
  • The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) announces the members of Leadership Sorghum Class VII. This program, hosted by the USCP, is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders and advocates for the sorghum industry. The first session will take place Dec. 10-12, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas, during the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board meeting.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    AGwagon Specially Designed for Farmers and Ranchers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Certified Ag Dealership, in partnership with Fox Factory Vehicles, recently launched the first purpose-built truck for farmers and ranchers.

    The reveal of the AGwagon was made at the Ohio State Farm Science Review in September. Certified Ag Dealership CEO Pat Driscoll says the brand-agnostic vehicle design was created from input by a team of 14 farmers with their needs in mind.

    “One of the key things those farmers talked about was easy bed access, that’s why you see the fold-away steps on the side, because we’re not getting any younger,” said Driscoll. Vehicle features include advanced suspension, rugged wheels, all-terrain tires, modular bed accessory system, Starlink Internet, off-road lighting, and customizable storage solutions.

    The idea to create the AGwagon came from a meeting earlier this year between Driscoll and Scott Vickery with Fox Factory. “He said ‘you know how farmers when they buy a truck will take it somewhere and tear parts off and put parts on to make it more agriculturally capable. Do you think there’s an opportunity to have a product like that already in the market?'” Driscoll recalled.

    AGwagon is fully customizable to meet specific agricultural needs and is available in four major brands: Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, and Ram, and comes with exclusive AgPack® discounts.

    Watch the reveal press conference on YouTube and listen to the audio below featuring Driscoll and Lyle Orwig with Certified Ag Dealership, and Scott Vickery of Fox Factory.

    AGwagon press reveal 26:27

    Audio, Technology

    Precision Ag News 10/31

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. farmers are using a new solution to treat soil compaction – a problem that affects over 68 million acres of farmland and significantly reduces crop yields. Unpac®, developed by Locus Agriculture, is an innovative biosurfactant soil amendment that successfully breaks up soil compaction through fermentation-derived technology. Three years of independent field trials have confirmed significant yield boosts of up to 34 percent in a multitude of crops, with an 86 percent win rate.
  • Farmers for Soil Health empowers farmers to lead the charge in sustainability—putting real money directly into their hands to drive change where it matters most: at the farm level. With enrollment now open, the program offers an opportunity for farmers to make a meaningful impact on soil health while benefiting financially. In its first year alone, 238 farmers enrolled, covering more than 78,000 acres, pushing the initiative closer to its goal of doubling cover crop adoption to 30 million acres across the U.S. by 2030. This innovative initiative, which is backed by corn, pork, and soy commodity groups, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, provides both financial incentives and technical support to corn and soybean farmers planting cover crops. The process is designed to be simple, featuring hassle-free enrollment and satellite-based remote monitoring and verification.
  • The American Soybean Association is expressing concern after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency imposed additional restrictions on farmers—a move that seems to have followed adverse comments from environmental groups. A new registration for glufosinate-P was announced October 18; however, EPA lagged in releasing the final label for that registration. The label is finally available, and with its public posting, additional, unwarranted restrictions are evident.
  • Longtime champion of agricultural conservation, Manatee County rancher Jim Strickland, has been announced as a 2025 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee. His unwavering dedication to sustainable ranching practices and advocacy for the conservation of Florida’s agricultural land have made a profound impact on the agriculture industry and statewide community. Since the 1980s, the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame has honored Floridians who have made lasting contributions to agriculture and the mentoring of our youth—the future of agriculture in Florida.
  • The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the launch of its application period for the 2025 Friends of NACD District Grants Program. Learn more about Friends of NACD and the District Grants Program and apply on NACD’s website.
  • Ag Leader Technology has announced the release of the next generation of the industry-leading InCommand displays. The introduction of the InCommand Go 16 and InCommand Go 10 will allow farmers to see more information and enhance the user experience in the cab, while making it simpler to stay connected across every field activity on the farm.
  • AgGateway is pleased to announce that ten college students have been selected to attend the organization’s Annual Conference in November through the Gateway to Ag Careers program.
  • The dual use of land for agriculture and solar energy production, known as agrivoltaics, presents a new opportunity for farmers, but whether it makes economic sense for growers is a complex question. A new set of analytical tools developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and published in the Journal of Extension helps farmers make an informed choice. The two spreadsheet-based tools can be used together or separately to assist farmers, extension educators and others who support the sector in determining whether or how to best incorporate utility-scale solar arrays into farming operations. The spreadsheets estimate costs, revenues and yields from agricultural production under different solar configurations. The tools are designed for lettuce and cranberry production but can be modified easily for other field and perennial crops.
  • ZeaKal announced that PhotoSeed™ has been validated as the first sustainability-embedded trait technology for agriculture. PhotoSeed enhances photosynthetic capacity, increasing soybean oil by 15 percent and protein by one point without compromising yield or requiring additional inputs. The technology is projected to expand the volume of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by approximately one billion additional gallons on existing U.S. soybean acreage.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    ZimmCast 737 – Preview of 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    In this episode we’ll get a preview of the AgGateway Annual Conference that will be starting November 11th in Austin. I talked with Brent Kemp, President and CEO, about what AgGateway works to accomplish and what the schedule looks like. I’ll be there to take photos and collect some good interviews and session audio. I’ll be going straight from there to Kansas City for a day of the NAFB Convention before heading back to ZimmComm World Headquarters.

    Looking over the last years that I’ve attended AgGateway meetings it seems to just continue to growing and refining the work they do.

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. Please let me know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 737 - Preview of 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference (25:54)

    I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    AgGateway, Audio, Technology, ZimmCast

    ZeaKal PhotoSeed is 1st Sustainability-Embedded Trait Tech

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ZeaKal today announced that PhotoSeed™ Soy has been validated as the first sustainability-embedded trait technology for agriculture, a technology that could expand the volume of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by approximately one billion additional gallons on existing U.S. soybean acreage.

    Han Chen, co-founder and CEO of ZeaKal, says they were able to validate PhotoSeed’s impact on the carbon intensity (CI) score of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from soybean oil by using well-respected analytic firm Foxley, LLC, which conducted an independent analysis according to multiple global standards and programs. “The data is also being reviewed by SCS Global Services, a leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification,” said Chen. “The modelling shows that PhotoSeed can reduce SAF CI scores by up to 4.6 points.”

    Chen says PhotoSeed enhances photosynthetic capacity, increasing soybean oil by 15% and protein by one point without compromising yield or requiring additional inputs. “At a time when the cost and scale for renewable fuels production still falls short of petrochemicals, we can leverage plant genetics to capture carbon and expand the volume of global oil production without needing new land or infrastructure. ZeaKal’s genetics and agricultural partnerships offer the energy industry economically feasible feedstocks with improved CI features in the production of SAF and other renewable fuels.”

    Over the past several years, ZeaKal has built a harmonized supply chain for PhotoSeed soy, which includes Gro Alliance, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and Perdue AgriBusiness. The collaboration enables improved oil and protein production with improved sustainability features for the food and agriculture industry. With growing demand from energy, the initial three-million-acre East Coast footprint is an attractive source for low CI feedstock. PhotoSeed soybeans will be available for the 2026 growing season.

    Chen adds that PhotoSeed’s verification as a technology pathway for reducing CI also opens opportunities across the company’s other crop programs, including corn and sugarcane. For ZeaKal’s key crop programs, the company forecasts that the global volume of SAF production could expand to 7.5 billion gallons per year.

    Learn more in this interview with Chen:
    ZeaKal CEO Han Chen 8:57

    AgWired Precision, Audio, SAF, Soybean, Sustainability, Technology

    Denali Changes10 Billion Pounds of Organic Matter into Fertilizer

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Organic recycling company Denali today announced it has transformed over 10 billion pounds of organic byproducts into natural fertilizers, according to its newly released third annual sustainability report detailing findings from 2023. The report also notes the company collected 1.7 billion pounds of food waste of which more than 75% was recycled into organic, nutrient-rich animal feed or made into customized formulations to address specific dietary concerns of cattle.

    2023 Report Agriculture Highlights By The Numbers
    ● Denali’s recycling efforts produced enough natural fertilizer to support more than 100,000 acres of farmland and manufactured enough animal feed to nourish over 40,000 cattle across five states.
    ● According to US EPA calculations, converting 1.3 billion pounds of food waste into animal feed resulted in an approximate avoidance of 780,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) in 2023. This reduction is comparable to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by 185,641 gasoline-powered vehicles driven over the course of one year.
    ● Fertilizer and chemicals remain the largest on-farm expenditure accounting for 17.5% of on-farm costs, with animal feed closely following at 15.5%. Denali’s depackaging process enabled farmers to receive fertilizer and/or animal feed at no cost, saving them a minimum of $100 per acre.

    Denali convert organic wastes, such as unsalable food, into valuable products, according to CEO Todd Mathes. “Our business is inherently circular, returning value from the earth back to the earth by taking organic byproducts originally destined for the landfill and recycling them to save farmers money and advance the circular economy. Through our customized service offering, we connect with farmers across the country to offer fertilizer and animal feed tailored to their specific needs.”

    The company collects food waste from thousands of generators, including major retailers like Whole Foods Market and Albertson’s, as well as food manufacturers and distributors, hotels, stadiums, universities, and cafeterias across 48 states and Puerto Rico. Most recently, Denali launched depackaging technology across the US that automatically separates food from its packaging materials like plastic and cardboard, producing a cleaner stream of organic material that can be turned into animal feed, compost or converted into energy with anaerobic digesters.

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Feed, Fertilizer, Livestock, Organic

    Animal Ag News 10/28

    Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) expressed concerns about the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s latest report, criticizing the lack of scientific basis for recommending plant proteins as a replacement for animal proteins. The Committee recommends moving beans, peas, and lentils from the vegetable group to the protein group. While this increases the amount of recommended protein intake, this would be deceiving to Americans, as there are essential nutrients in animal protein that plant proteins do not provide.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) slammed the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s unhinged recommendations that propose replacing high-quality proteins like beef with beans, peas, and lentils.
  • For more than 30 years, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has offered the annual Redbook to help cattle producers effectively and efficiently record their daily production efforts. The pocket-sized booklet simplifies recordkeeping, which can enhance profitability and reduce stress levels. The 2025 edition of the Redbook is now available.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and Feedstuffs named BioZyme’s Stockyard plant in St. Joseph, Mo., as its 2024 Feed Facility of the Year. Through the Feed Facility of the Year program, the AFIA also raised approximately $14,000 for the Equipment Manufacturers Committee (EMC) scholarship, supporting the development of future leaders in the industry.
  • Certified Angus Beef closed its 2024 fiscal year with one of its strongest sales years in the company’s history. With marked growth both domestically and internationally, the global beef brand sold 1.237 billion pounds across the U.S. and more than 50 countries and recorded a 37.4 percent CAB acceptance rate.
  • As the nation celebrates National School Lunch Week, U.S. parents are calling for Congress to reinstate whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk in U.S. public schools. For 12 years, students in public schools have been unable to access these widely consumed milk options in school meals. A new Morning Consult poll, commissioned by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), reveals that the vast majority of parents want these milk options to be available in school cafeterias, as they are at home.
  • The United States exports approximately $8 billion in dairy products to 145 countries around the world every year, which amounts to approximately one day’s worth of U.S. milk production each week. In fact, recent estimates indicate that the U.S. now exports more dairy on a fluid milk basis than we consume. These figures are increasing year after year meaning that trade has never been more important to the future of U.S. dairy than it is now. Within that context, IDFA submitted comments on the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report, which details U.S. concerns with foreign barriers to trade for Congress annually. This year, IDFA’s submission included a range of concerns, including new barriers related to provisional tariffs on U.S. milk powder exports to Colombia and long-standing trade concerns such as Canada’s milk class policies.
  • The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) honored Glen Easter and Larry Hancock as the 2024 co-recipients of the Richard E. Lyng Award for their contributions and distinguished service to dairy promotion. The award is named for former U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Richard E. Lyng, who played a critical role in implementing policies that led to the establishment of NDB more than 35 years ago. It honors leaders who have made a significant contribution to dairy promotion that benefits the entire industry. Hancock and Easter were honored at the Joint NDB/National Milk Producers Federation/United Dairy Industry Association Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Oct. 21-23.
  • Farmer leaders in stewardship, sustainability and workforce best practices, along with a top FARM Program evaluator, were recognized at the fourth annual FARM Excellence Awards presentation held at National Milk Producers Federation’s annual meeting.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is pleased to announce the 2025 Young Leaders Under 30 honorees. The Young Leaders Under 30 Award recognizes emerging leaders in the industry. The award offers recipients a chance to gain visibility at the world’s largest annual trade show focused on the production, packing and processing of meat, poultry and egg products, as well as animal feed and pet food.
  • Vanguard Renewables, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its newest renewable natural gas project at The Moyer Family’s Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia Court House, VA. The farm, owned by Larkin Moyer, a fourth-generation dairyman, along with his sons Brandon and Jeremy and is the oldest continuously operating family dairy in the Commonwealth.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    New Pricing for Pivot Bio Microbial Nitrogen Offers Greater ROI

    Cindy Zimmerman

    As part of their ongoing support for farmers facing tough economics, Pivot Bio has announced a lower price for PROVEN® 40 microbial nitrogen in the 2025 growing season paired with a 0% financing program.

    “We understand the evolving financial dynamics that farmers are facing,” said Chris Turner, Pivot Bio chief commercial officer. “We want to meet farmers where they are and set them up for success year after year. We’re proud to provide farmers with the tools they need to farm more confidently and mitigate risks effectively.”

    A national study from 2022-2024 showed that corn treated with PROVEN 40, a microbially derived nitrogen source, had an average 9% increase in in-plant nitrogen compared to the standard practices.

    During that same three-year period, farmers experienced, on average, nearly a bushel per acre yield advantage when replacing nearly 40 pounds of nitrogen with PROVEN 40.

    In a recent customer satisfaction survey, farmers gave Pivot Bio a 91% customer satisfaction rating, citing plant health, ease of application and better ROI as reasons they incorporate PROVEN 40 as a foundational piece of their nitrogen management plan.

    AgWired Precision, Corn, Nutrient Management, Nutrition, Precision Agriculture

    Syngenta Finds Soybean Growers ROI in Sliding Market

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With the 2024 soybean harvest almost complete and growers evaluate this year’s decisions for 2025, return on investment (ROI) once again ranks as the most critical factor in a rollercoaster market, according to Syngenta.

    At Farm Progress Show this year, Syngenta agronomic service representative Jesse Grote talked about how the Syngenta Seedcare portfolio delivers more value and more potential yield at harvest.

    “It really is a season long approach…starting with a strong insecticide like CruiserMaxx® APX getting that early season protection against leaf beetles,” said Grote. And then choose a good insecticide that has two effective modes of action, and one that will provide residual control in in addition to knockdown as well.”

    FPS24 - Interview with Jesse Grote, Syngenta 4:38

    Katie Jaeger, Syngenta soy seedcare product lead, says both CruiserMaxx® APX and Saltro® seed treatments offer stronger and healthier emergence with a lower risk of replants, healthier seedlings that thrive above and below ground, and higher potential yield and ROI. “CruiserMaxx APX and Saltro provide growers with the confidence and protection to plant whenever they want without the fear of replanting because they know their soybeans are going to emerge with less stress and will reach their full genetic yield potential,” said Jaeger.

    During a recent Syngenta media event, Jaeger said they are looking forward to releasing a new seed treatment in 2025 for protection against soybean cyst nematode called Victrato with TYMIRIUM® technology. “So the expectation is 2025. We’re aiming for the 2025 planning season. Obviously registration pending, so it’s somewhat ambiguous, but that is our target is to enable production after registration to be able to provide an in field customer experience in 2025,” said Jaeger.

    Interview with Katie Jaeger (3:42)

    Audio, Soybean, Syngenta

    Precision Ag News 10/23

    Carrie Muehling

  • USDA announced a historic $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. Selected RCPP projects will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis.
  • USDA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a new web-based tool on the Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation for companies that develop microbial biotechnology products. The tool provides a starting point for researchers and developers, especially those new to biotechnology product development, to navigate the regulatory requirements for genetically modified microorganisms.
  • Four start-up companies offering agricultural innovations have advanced to compete for a top prize of $100,000 in the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, continues to elevate the importance of entrepreneurship in agriculture through the contest.
  • EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, has announced the integration of John Deere data into its EOSDA Crop Monitoring platform. This new feature simplifies the process of managing fields and field operations data, allowing platform users to automatically synchronize information such as field boundaries, fertilizer application, seeding, spraying, and harvesting directly from their John Deere Operations Center.
  • U.S. sales of Ag tractors decreased 19.2 percent in September 2024 compared to the year before, according to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Sales of combines also fell during the month, dropping 40.7 percent compared to 2023.
  • With a new website resource from GROW (Getting Rid of Weeds), a public network of weed scientists are working to help farmers stem this epidemic by diversifying their weed management strategies with non-chemical weed control tactics, a strategy known as integrated weed management (IWM).
  • Doriane announces the launch of Bloomeo Biosolutions , a cutting-edge platform optimizes bioproduct performance. The software enhances data management, and reporting, using AI and statistical meta-analysis to identify factors affecting the effectiveness of biocontrol, biostimulant products and biofertilizers. Resulting from collaborative research across France and Europe, it aims to reduce agro-chemical use and empower sustainable agriculture.
  • Millborn Seeds, Inc., a family-owned seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for more than 37 years, continues their tradition of upholding the legacy of specialty seed businesses with the acquisition of Kaste Seed near Fertile, Minnesota.
  • Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc. proudly continues its support of the National FFA Organization through a three-year investment of $850,000. Spanning from 2024 to 2026, the annual contribution of $282,500 is strategically allocated to enhance the FFA’s broad programs. These funds are directed towards competitive event support for members, comprehensive professional development for advisors, and a notable scholarship of $10,000 for National FFA Officers at their service year’s end. The initiative also includes support for alumni chapters, strengthening the foundation for ongoing agricultural engagement and learning.
  • “All systems are ‘GO’ for our meeting in Fort Myers,” says Dave Mielnicki, Newmark Valuation and Advisory, Clarkson, Mich., chair of the 2024 Annual Conference for the American Society of Agricultural Consultants. “We’re happy to report our hotel received no damage from the recent hurricanes that ripped through the area. This means our program is on track for November 3 – 5.” The conference hotel, Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast, has recognized that members would have taken a wait-and-see approach to registering during that final week leading up to the October 12 deadline, so they have extended the room block, ASAC discount, food and beverage count deadlines to October 21. As a result, ASAC is able to extend the early registration fee to October 21 as well.
  • Marion Ag Service has added Dan Dumler to its executive team as Director of Sales and Distribution. Dumler brings 30 years of experience across agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets. Dumler will lead Marion Ag’s sales growth objectives with the help of his extensive network of relationships throughout distribution channels. In addition to driving the growth of aligned brands and technologies, including PurKote, Entrust Nutrition, and Pro-Pell-It!, he will explore synergistic distribution relationships that include seed on behalf of Marion Ag’s marketing consortium with Columbia Seeds.
  • A Michigan State University researcher has received a $394,600 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a solar power-based irrigation technology that improves energy- and water-use efficiency. Younsuk Dong, an assistant professor in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, leads the three-year project.
  • At FIRA USA 2024, the Reservoir announced the first-ever on-farm robotics incubators, Reservoir Farms, set to open in the Central and Salinas Valleys in early 2025. This pioneering initiative significantly shifts how agricultural technology innovates through real-world testing environments, world-class resources, and critical industry partnerships.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture