NCBA Pleased With Infrastructure Package

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is calling the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by the U.S. Senate yesterday a step in the right direction.

“We are pleased to see the Senate has passed an infrastructure package that will benefit American cattle producers. Investments in infrastructure are critical to ensure that those in rural America, including farmers and ranchers, have the necessary resources to operate the businesses that serve as the backbone of rural economies,” said Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera. “We see this legislation as a step in the right direction and will continue working with Members of Congress to ensure that the needs of cattle and beef producers are included in a final infrastructure bill.”

Cattle producers from around the country are meeting this week in Nashville for the annual Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. Listen to Rivera explain what they like about the bill in this interview.

CIC2021 Interview with Allison Rivera, NCBA 2:29

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Thousands Gather for Cattle Industry Convention

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2021 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show is getting underway today in Nashville, where more than 6,000 cattle producers, industry partners and stakeholders are gathering for three days of education, policy development and networking.

“I am pleased that cattlemen and women can come together in person once again,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jerry Bohn. “Producers from across the country and their families look forward to convention every year, but I think it means even more following the pandemic’s disruptions.”

Bohn says attendance may end up being closer to 7,000 for the convention, since Nashville has always been a popular destination and many producers can drive. In this interview, he talks about the important cattle industry issues that are on the minds of producers here.

CIC2021 Interview with Jerry Bohn, NCBA president 5:15

Cattle Industry Convention virtual news room.

2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Consultants Lead the Way in Ag Tech

Carrie Muehling

Consultant Kylen Hunt led a panel on Serving Large Farm Operations and Other Business Challenges at Tech Hub Live. His focus in agriculture is on adoption planning, which he said few people are doing today.

“When you build an adoption plan, then a grower has something to look forward to with the technology adoption, and that’s something that we’ve found to be very powerful,” said Hunt.
“When we’re thinking about the adoption planning process, we’re thinking forward to what’s next.”

Hunt works with a farmer’s team, which can include ag retailers and equipment operators on financial planning when it comes to technology implementation, maintenance and replacement. He said data management is critical to the adoption plan.

Tech Hub Live interview with Kylen Hunt (5:21)

AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

Animal Ag News 8/10

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) announced that it will begin publishing a National Daily Direct Formula Base Cattle report, which will provide greater information into the foundational prices used in cattle market formulas, grids, and contracts, and a National Weekly Cattle Net Price Distribution report, which will show the volume of cattle purchased at each different level of pricing within those formulas, grids, and contracts. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has long urged USDA to adopt policies that increase transparency in the cattle markets and applauds this effort to provide producers greater insight into cattle transactions.
  • Jennifer Nealson of Denver has been hired as the new Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Nealson is responsible for directing program strategy, development and integration through marketing, research and science disciplines in an effort to increase the demand of beef.
  • The 2022 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) has already surpassed 507,000 square feet of exhibit space and has secured more than 1,000 exhibitors, with six months remaining until the Expo. Made up of three integrated trade shows – International Poultry Expo, International Feed Expo and International Meat Expo – the IPPE is the world’s largest annual meat, poultry and animal food trade show. The event is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).
  • The American Feed Industry Association’s Board of Directors voted in a special election today to accept the nomination of Mike Gauss, president of Kent Nutrition Group, Inc., to become the Board chair-elect of the organization. Gauss will succeed current Board chair Mike Schuster, vice president of sales at Laidig Systems, Inc., in May 2022.
  • Merck Animal Health has announced new naming for its cattle vaccine portfolio; one of the largest and most comprehensive vaccine portfolios in the industry. The goal of the new naming and packaging is to make it easier for customers to recognize the company’s vaccines and to identify specific formulations.
  • Emily Melchior, New Mexico State University, and Luke Fuerniss, Texas Tech University, have each been awarded a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. The annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program was established by NCF in 2007 to recognize outstanding graduate students who plan to pursue careers in meat science and animal agriculture. Melchior and Fuerniss were selected from 24 applicants based on their academic achievements, leadership and commitment to advancement of the beef industry.
  • Select Sires is excited to announce the hiring of Kelly Fox as a communications specialist. In this role, she will manage Select Sires’ websites and other digital platforms, including content creation, informational updates, and strategies to increase user engagement. Fox will also provide support to member cooperatives and international distributors. She will use her design skills to develop print and digital promotions for Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics and GenerVations genetics, in addition to programs and services to enhance Select Sires’ brand image.
  • Animal Health & Nutrition Company, a Paine Schwartz Partners portfolio company and the commercial leader in animal health and nutrition product development and commercialization of nutritional health products, announced that it has rebranded as Axiota Animal Health.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

SD Governor Talks Beef and Ethanol at Sturgis Rally

Cindy Zimmerman

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem saddled up to ride into the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on horseback, then traded her real horse for a steel horse to lead the Legends Ride, an annual charitable event that is co-sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association.

The governor appreciates RFA’s ethanol promotion efforts at the rally each year. “Ethanol is critical to our economy…it’s a priority for my administration,” she said. “I would like to see more of a focus on diversified American energy and ethanol is a big part of that.”

SD Gov. Noem at Sturgis - ethanol :25

Governor Noem is a cattle rancher herself, so with the Cattle Industry Conference this week we asked her about one of the big issues facing the industry – what to do about the beef supply chain. “We’ve been fighting the packers for 25, 30 years and we’ve got four big packers that are controlling the market and putting a lot of profit into their pockets and it’s bankrupting our ranchers,” said Noem. “We have been working to get the Department of Justice to continue the investigation that was started under President Trump, we’re hopeful they’ll continue to do that.”

SD Gov. Noem at Sturgis - beef :49

Audio, Beef, Ethanol, Horses, Livestock, RFA

#CattleCon21 is Tuning in to Tennessee

Cindy Zimmerman

Thousands of cattlemen and women are heading to Nashville this week for a late but promising to be great 2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) made the decision to move the event from its normal winter months time to the summer so it could be live and in-person and that decision has paid off with 5500 already registered and at least 1500 more expected to show up and register on-site. That may be a little less than a normal year, but of course, this has been no normal year!

I was able to catch up with NCBA’s Executive Director of Meetings & Events Kristin Torres to get a preview of what’s happening this week.

CIC2021 Interview with Kristin Torres, NCBA 5:17

Photos, news, interviews and other audio will be posted in the Cattle Industry Convention virtual news room.

2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Beef Checkoff, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, NCBA

The Intersection of Technology and Ag Retail

Cindy Zimmerman

The ag retail model is on the cusp of a transformation, as more and more technology is introduced to the market. This technology is making it easier to connect with and provide value to farmers, but also requires ag retail to adopt these new methods to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing world.

At the recent Tech Hub LIVE Conference Matt Carstens, President and CEO of Landus Cooperative, discussed the intersection of technology and ag retail, which he says all starts with the farmer. “When we do something for the farmer that makes him money we’re gonna win,” he said. “Cool doesn’t pay a bill on the farm.”

Carstens also took part in a panel on “Technology That’s Powering In-Season Decision Making” during the conference. Listen to an interview with him here.

Tech Hub Live interview with Matt Carstens, Landus (5:49)

AgWired Precision, Audio, Cooperatives, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

Ethanol Rides Into Sturgis Again

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association is back at the Buffalo Chip Campground this week to host the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally festivities. RFA will once again host “Free Fuel Happy Hours” to help educate motorcycle enthusiasts about the benefits of using ethanol-blended fuels, and will also sponsor the annual Legends Ride on Monday, Aug. 9, which will feature South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. This will be the 13th year that RFA has participated in the rally – and the 9th year AgWired has been there to help.

The popular Free Fuel Happy Hours at the rally offers a free tank of 93 octane E10 (10% ethanol) for motorcycles and a commemorative t-shirt. The free tank giveaway will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday August 9-12 at the CrossRoads area of the Buffalo Chip Campground at a fuel station donated by the RFA in 2017. RFA will also have a presence throughout the campground with banners, videos on the jumbotrons, and addressing the concert crowd each night.

RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White and other RFA representatives will be on hand during the Free Fuel Happy Hours to answer any questions as motorcycle riders fill up and help educate them about the benefits of ethanol. This year, White will also speak to a group of several hundred female motorcycle enthusiasts as part of the rally’s Women’s Day program on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Listen to a preview interview with White here:
Sturgis preview interivew with Robert White, RFA 5:00

Follow @fuelinggood and @Agriblogger on Twitter for live updates. Click here for the official program guide, sponsored by RFA.

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Ag Media Summit 2021 was a Winner

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEA AwardsThe 2021 Ag Media Summit was definitely a winner for everyone who welcomed the opportunity to see and talk to people face to face, some for the first time in nearly two years.

Besides the emotion of just seeing friends and catching up, the annual awards also presented some emotional moments, including a special presentation of the 2020 Livestock Publications Council Hall of Fame award to the family of Don Norton, Boelte-Hall, and a moment of silence for Steve Drake who recently passed away.

As always, there were many awards presented by both AAEA The Ag Communicators Network and the Livestock Publications Council, too many to list here so check them out on line:
2021 AAEA Annual Awards Contest Winners
LPC Awards Contest Results

Jennifer Carrico AwardJennifer Carrico, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, was chair of the steering committee for this year’s AMS and that earned her the Workhorse Award from LPC executive director Lindsay Graber Runft. Carrico says it was challenging coming back after being virtual in 2020 and putting together a more scaled-back program, but overall was pleased with how it all turned out.

Listen to her comments in this interview.
AMS Wrapup Interview with Jennifer Carrico 7:15

2021 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, LPC

Industry Ag News 8/6

Carrie Muehling

  • American Soybean Association (ASA) President Kevin Scott has confirmed the election of ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) officers and committee members for fiscal year 2021-2022. New to the WISHH Committee are Doug Darling (MI) and Denny Mertz (MO). George Goblish (MN) is reappointed. Officers are Chairman Gerry Hayden (KY), Vice Chair Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare (IL), Treasurer Bob Haselwood (KS), and Secretary Morey Hill (IA). In addition, Daryl Cates (ASA), Ed Beaman (USSEC) and David Williams (USB) will serve on the WISHH Committee as ex-officio representatives for their organizations.
  • 100 delegates from more than 40 different countries will make up Bayer’s 2021 Youth Ag Summit cohort this November. The global forum and biennially organized conference selected young leaders between the ages of 18 and 25 with a passion for sustainable global agriculture for the opportunity to learn and collaborate with others on solutions to issues challenging food security. This year’s delegates come from more than 2,000 applicants representing nearly 100 countries.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. reported year-to-date net sales totaling $8.0 billion with net earnings of $236 million, a year-over-year increase of 9% in net sales and 99% in net earnings. During the same period of last year, the company reported net sales of $7.3 billion and net earnings of $118 million. For second quarter ending June 30, 2021, the company reported net sales of $4.0 billion and net earnings of $100 million, a 14% year-over-year net sales increase and 22% increase in net earnings.
  • Farm Journal announced that American Idol contestant and rising country music star Alex Miller will perform as part of the 2021 #FarmON Benefit Concert during Farm Journal Field Days. Proceeds from this second annual benefit concert will go to the National FFA Foundation. Highlights from the concert will air in prime time on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, from 7 to 8 p.m. CDT, on RFD-TV and stream on other online and social networks.
  • A significant majority of consumers understand real sugar originates from plants and is naturally-occurring, according to new research conducted by Quadrant Strategies for the Sugar Association. Overall, the research shows consumer attitudes about real sugar are increasingly positive, while the favorability of artificial sweeteners has declined.
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