Precision Ag News 4/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Farmobile LLC, Agriculture’s Independent Data Company™, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 10,963,825, entitled “Farming Data Collection and Exchange System.”
  • The Kansas Soil Health Alliance is a recently-formed nonprofit organization that has been established to be a trusted partner and valuable soil health resource for Kansas growers.
  • The 2021 in-person Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) will be postponed until June 6-8, 2022. CUTC will be holding a special virtual session on May 13, 2021 at 10 a.m. CT. “Funding for Research, Development and Commercialization.” This free session will feature panelists that can speak to a wide range of funding opportunities and mechanisms. Register here.
  • Ginkgo Bioworks has partnered with agriculture giant Corteva Agriscience to drive the discovery of new crop protection solutions that rely on natural products. Natural products are ingredients found in the environment that have natural defense mechanisms and can be more effective, while also being more sustainable and eco-friendly.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and private landowners have partnered to protect more than 5 million acres of wetlands, grasslands, and prime farmland — an area the size of New Jersey. Since October, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has enrolled 110,000 acres in new conservation easements, bringing USDA to this important conservation milestone.
  • Golden Harvest® corn farmers now have access to the Seeding Rate Selector, a digital tool that helps farmers estimate the most economical seeding rate for individual hybrids and yield environments. The Seeding Rate Selector is another example of Golden Harvest’s commitment to delivering data-driven solutions to farmers.
  • Biome Makers has developed a software package that uses advanced machine learning to help farmers and agronomists pinpoint what their crops and soils need to boost yield in a sustainable way. The scientific teams of Bayer Crop Science and Biome Makers tested and disclosed the first application of this groundbreaking technology on bioRxiv, the preprint repository operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Don’t Forget Rural & Small Market Outlets in Your Media Mix

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello from the ZimmComm Team. We hope everyone had a very blessed and happy Easter weekend.

AgNewsWireHere at ZimmComm World Headquarters we’re working on several projects and focusing more on our AgNewsWire service to continue assisting agricultural marketers with media outreach. In the last couple years we’ve seen a significant growth in companies direct to consumer tactics which basically bypasses broadcast and publications. The technology has changed and it is becoming more and more common for companies to have full time social media managers/creators and agencies to develop social media teams and departments. In some cases, agencies have invested in full-fledged media production departments or created them with a separate brand identity. This seems to me to be a natural and logical evolution.

However, at the same time companies and agencies are employing more direct to consumer content channels, there is still a need to continue relationships with the media and provide content to them as well, and not just the big national outlets. Smaller, regional outlets are finding themselves being left out of the media mix, even when it comes to media releases and press conferences.

AgNewsWire targets all ag media – print, broadcast and online – as well as influencers in agribusiness, agri-marketing, and agricultural organizations. Our list of 1,700 also includes opted-in non-ag media, from small weekly publications and radio stations to major national outlets. We have found that when we post audio from a livestream or zoom-type event, it will generate hundreds of downloads, even if the archived video of the event is available.

Consider AgNewsWire an affordable tool in your marketing and public relations toolkit to distribute your content to multiple sources. Our emails and e-newsletter receive very high open and click rates – averaging 30 percent open and five percent clicks. If you haven’t tried our services and would like to do so, you can just contact me or if you have a news release to distribute, just click here to upload/pay. Easy Peasy!

Marketing, Media

USDA Releases First 2021 Crop Progress Report

Cindy Zimmerman

#Plant21 season is officially underway now with the start of USDA’s weekly Crop Progress reports.

Planting has begun for barley, corn, cotton, oats, rice, sorghum, spring wheat, and sugarbeets, according to the first Crop Progress report issued for the 2021 planting season by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). By this time last year, 2% of the corn crop had been planted, 2% has been planted so far in 2021. Six percent of the cotton crop has been planted, 1 percentage point behind the same time last year. Fourteen percent of the sorghum crop has been planted, 1 percentage point behind a year ago. Barley, oats, rice, spring wheat and sugarbeet plantings are similar to 2020 progress.

Corn, Cotton, USDA

Animal Ag News 4/5

Carrie Muehling

  • World Dairy Expo® is pleased to announce, after thorough consideration, World Dairy Expo 2021 will remain in Madison, Wisconsin. The 54th edition of the event is scheduled for Expo’s historic home, the Alliant Energy Center, September 28 – October 2, 2021. This announcement comes after contingency planning and consideration of alternative venues.
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a civil enforcement action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington charging Easterday Ranches, Inc., a Pasco, Washington based cattle feedyard, and Cody Easterday, co-owner and formerly president of Easterday Ranches, for engaging in fraud in connection with the sale of more than 200,000 non-existent head of cattle to a beef processor, making false statements to an exchange, and violating exchange-set position limits.
  • Greg Hinton, Rose Acre Farms, Seymour, Indiana, was elected for a second term as chairman of the board of directors of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association during a recent board of directors meeting, held in Atlanta. Due to the pandemic, the board elected to renominate the executive committee to a second term.
  • AdWeek recently released their list of the most impactful campaigns of the year and chose “Cheeselandia,” the brand community created by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, as Influencer Campaign of the Year.
  • Evonik has made a follow-up investment in the biotechnology start-up In Ovo through its venture capital unit. The investment comes as the young company reaches the commercialization stage for its technology and is bringing its gender-testing machine for eggs to the market. Together with co-investor VisVires New Protein Capital, Evonik Venture Capital has provided several million euros in further funding. Evonik Venture Capital first invested in the Leiden, Netherlands-based company in 2018, providing support for a technology that helps solve one of the egg industry’s biggest ethical problems.
  • As of March 1, there were 74.8 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 2% from March 2020, and down 3% from December 1, 2020, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Happy Easter

Chuck Zimmerman

LilyThe Easter Lilys haven’t bloomed yet at ZimmComm World Headquarters but these have.

We wish you a very happy Easter.

“’Christ is alive.’ This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen. He has triumphed over death; he has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness. ‘Do not be terrified’ was how the angels greeted the women who came to the tomb. ‘Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.’ ‘This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.’”

St. Josemaria Escriva
Christ is Passing By, no. 102

ZimmComm Announcement

Industry Ag News 4/2

Carrie Muehling

  • The virtual 2021 Water for Food Research Forum will be on Tuesday, April 6, 10 a.m-Noon CDT. The forum will focus on the theme “Creating Impact through Science.” Astronaut Clayton –“Astro Clay”– Anderson, Nebraska’s only astronaut, is the keynote speaker this year. Nebraska state climatologist Martha Shulski, Ph.D. will also be presenting. The Water for Food Research Forum is open to everyone, but registration is required. After registering, users will receive a Zoom link to join the virtual forum.
  • Stagnant public funding for agricultural research is threatening the future vitality of U.S. food systems – posing risks to farmer productivity and profitability, the steady supply of affordable food for consumers, and ultimately global food security, according to a new report, jointly commissioned by Farm Journal Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation and authored by the IHS Markit Agribusiness Consulting Group.
  • The Propane Education & Research Council recently surpassed 100 financial incentives given to producers for new propane equipment purchases through its Propane Farm Incentive Program.
  • Another new class of emerging leaders are honing their skills to serve as the voices for U.S. agriculture through the American Soybean Association and Corteva Agriscience™ Young Leaders program. The 38th class of Young Leaders met virtually March 11, 2021 and will continue their training with two in-person sessions later in 2021.
  • 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. Nominations are open until June 11, 2021 and can be submitted online at this link.
  • U.S. cotton producers now can begin enrolling their 2021 cotton crop in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and current producer participants can re-enroll their operations in this initiative which aims to set a new standard in more sustainably grown U.S. cotton.
  • The Southern States Cooperative, Inc. Board of Directors announced that Jeffrey Stroburg, the President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2015 will retire from the cooperative effective June 30, 2021. Steven M. Becraft, the cooperative’s Chief Operating Officer will assume the President and CEO role on July 1, 2021.
  • The Boards of Directors of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association have reached an Agreement in Principle to create a new global trade association combining their resources and expertise to enhance member services, increase advocacy before government and the public, help members grow their businesses, and drive consumption of fresh produce and demand for floral products as a vital cornerstone of public health. The two associations will continue to operate as independent organizations through 2021, with the new association to be launched January 1, 2022.
  • The Farm Credit Administration has selected Clark Ogilvie to serve as its new general counsel. Its current general counsel, Charlie Rawls, is retiring. Mr. Ogilvie’s first day on the job is April 11, and Joy Strickland, currently FCA’s acting deputy general counsel, will serve as acting general counsel until then.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors has approved $886,235 in research project funding for the 2021-22 research budget year. This action was taken during the commission’s March board meeting. The research projects approved include 42 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Fort Valley State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation and Mississippi Farm Bureau presented Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) with AFBF’s Golden Plow award. The Golden Plow is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress.
  • POET announced it has expanded its production of all-natural, 100% plant-based purified alcohol, which exceeds the highest global quality standards for alcohol. POET also unveiled a suite of bio-based products under a new label, POET Pure™. The combined actions will further extend the reach of one of the world’s largest bioethanol and bioproducts companies, bringing even more green consumer products to the market.
Zimfo Bytes

Will it be Live or Will it be Virtual?

Chuck Zimmerman

The current theme of conversations I’ve been having all contain the question, “Will we have in-person events and when?” You can find podcasts about it and projections and opinions and surveys being done. For my part, the more I hear and the more I see being published in the media, nothing is certain. Of course you remember how 2 weeks turned into more than a year. At the end of 2020 I was seeing forecasts of back to normal live events by end of Q1, then it was Q2 and currently I’m hearing Q3 or Q4. But we’re already seeing some postponing their events to AGRITECHNICA2022. A couple recent examples include the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference which was cancelled last year and AGRITECHNICA which was scheduled for November of this year! New dates for these are: CUTC – June 6-8, 2022 and AGRITECHNICA – February 27-March 5, 2022.

What is your outlook? There are many variables to consider. For example, small groups without a trade show might find it easier to hold an in-person event but it will probably include significant restrictions and rules to deal with. Think masks, round tables of 4 people instead of 8-10, personal plated/covered meals already on your table when you sit down to eat, customers/members who are not allowed to travel or won’t and on it goes. Let’s hope for the best since it would be really nice to see friends and clients face to face!

See what’s going on at ZimmComm in the latest ZimmNews.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Farm Shows

Ethanol Report Looks at Industry COVID Recovery

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. ethanol industry is in a much better place compared to a year ago when production was nearing a record low and plants were closing as a result of efforts to contain COVID-19.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper provides an update on where the ethanol industry is today, in terms of working with the new EPA, getting COVID relief for producers, the Supreme Court case on small refinery waivers, and what 2022 means for the RFS.

Ethanol Report 3-31-21 (21:54)

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA

USDA Report Reveals Planting Intentions

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Prospective Plantings report released this week reveals producers intend to plant an estimated 91.1 million acres of corn in 2021, up less than 1% from last year, and 87.6 million acres of soybeans, up 5% from last year.

Planted acreage intentions for corn are up or unchanged in 24 of the 48 estimating states. The largest increases are expected in the Dakotas, where producers intend to plant a combined 8.90 million acres, an increase of 2.00 million acres from 2020. Producers across most of the Corn Belt intend to plant fewer acres than last year. If realized, the planted area of corn in Idaho and Oregon will be the largest on record.

If realized, the 2021 soybean estimate will be the third highest planted acreage on record. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 23 of the 29 states estimated.

All wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.4 million acres, up 5% from 2020. This represents the fourth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919. Winter wheat planted area, at 33.1 million acres, is up 3% from the previous estimate and up 9% from last year. This is the seventh lowest planted acreage on record.

The Prospective Plantings report provides the first official, survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2021 planting intentions. NASS’s acreage estimates are based on surveys conducted during the first two weeks of March from a sample of nearly 80,000 farm operators across the nation.

Corn, Soybean, USDA, Wheat

Precision Ag News 3/31

Carrie Muehling

  • Golden Harvest® released its Agronomy in Action 2021 Research Review to help corn and soybean farmers across the country prepare for the upcoming season. The Agronomy in Action 2021 Research Review provides a comprehensive review of applied and practical agronomic studies conducted during the 2020 growing season at Golden Harvest Agronomy in Action research sites, with more than 150 pages of insights to help farmers make research-based decisions this season.
  • Vestaron is proud to announce a collaboration with Bee Friendly Farming® (BFF). This partnership represents the two groups’ shared mission to promote and protect honey bees and their vital role as agricultural pollinators.
  • The Fertilizer Institute, along with the International Fertilizer Development Center, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Corn Growers Association, announced the organizations and products selected for Phase two trials in the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges.
  • Midwestern farmers are one step closer to the prospect of growing a new cover crop that will generate a cash margin while supporting regenerative agriculture. CoverCress Inc. announced it has raised another $8 million to fund its final stage of crop development and scale up for its first commercial planting for the fall of 2022.
  • ServiTech, Inc. announced a long-term partnership with Sentera, under which FieldAgent by Sentera will deliver industry-leading field imagery, crop health monitoring and change detection technology to support the ServiTech Bridge platform, improving grower outcomes through more informed management decisions.
  • The Mosaic Company and AgBiome announced a strategic collaboration, aiming to discover, develop and launch novel biological approaches to enhancing soil fertility.
  • BASF and AgBiome have signed an agreement to bring a new biological fungicide to the market in Europe, and key countries in the Middle East and Africa. Developed by AgBiome, and marketed as Howler® in the United States, the biological fungicide with multiple modes of action provides preventive, long-lasting activity on a broad spectrum of soilborne and foliar diseases.
  • Ag entrepreneur and crop input veteran Frank Peterson has joined Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC, one of the fastest-growing direct-to-farm crop input suppliers in America. Peterson becomes Meristem’s sales and business director, western region.
  • Ceradis Crop Protection B.V., a global developer and marketer of environmentally friendly plant nutrition and crop protection solutions, has formed a distribution partnership with WinField® United for its CeraMax® bio fungicide seed treatment.
  • Arva Intelligence is excited to announce the Arva Carbon Ready Program to support trusted advisors and their growers to prepare for emerging carbon markets.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture