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.
Zimfo Bytes

Deere Announces New Products at Ag Media Summit

Carrie Muehling

Those attending this year’s Ag Media Summit in Kansas City had the opportunity to hear about some new products recently launched by John Deere. A new cotton picker and stripper will be available this fall, along with new windrowers for hay and forage harvest.

“The integrated technology, with the Gen 4 display and all of that data that it captures, it sends to the Operations Center to really analyze the data and make better decisions pass after pass and year over year,” said Chad Passman, John Deere Public & Industry Relations Manager – North American Agriculture.

Passman said the new products will help growers to improve efficiency in the field.

Chad Passman, John Deere Public & Industry Relations Manager – North American Agriculture
Interview with Chad Passman, John Deere 1:49

2021 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Equipment, John Deere

Next Gen NAMA Award Winners Honored

Cindy Zimmerman

From left: Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Animal Ag Alliance; Katie Ertmer, Filament; NAMA President Sara Steever, Paulsen; and Lacey Fielder, Signal Theory.

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) honored the winners of the Next Gen NAMA Award at the 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference, July 20-22 in Kansas City. This award was developed to celebrate the next generation of leaders. Honorees are nominated from within their company or through chapter or national leadership.

The recipients for 2021 are:

Katie Ertmer – Senior Manager, Client Lead at Filament. Katie has worked in the field of marketing and communications for more than 10 years, ranging from in-house marketing to agencies. She has been with Filament more than half of her marketing career and has grown from an executive level position to a senior manager position over the course of this time. Katie has taken a leadership role within the Filament business, leading a key account and mentoring and growing a team of 17 individuals within this key account. She is active in NAMA and has served on the Badger Chapter Board as membership chair, communications chair and student chapter liaison.

Lacey Fielder – Associate Public Relations Director at Signal Theory. Through her 10 years at Signal Theory and 12 years in the industry, Lacey Fielder has led public relations efforts for numerous agriculture and animal health clients, including Merial/Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, FMC , Kinze, NAMI and AgroLiquid. Her work has led to numerous Best of NAMA awards, including many firsts and a regional Public Relations “Best of Show” for her client Merck Swine. Lacey has been an active NAMA member since her undergrad days at K-State majoring in Agriculture Communications and Journalism. She has best a Best of NAMA judge at the Regional and National level, participated in many panels and recently presented a webinar for NAMA.

Hannah Thompson-Weeman – Vice President, Strategic Engagement at Animal Agriculture Alliance. Hannah was promoted in Jan 2021 to this new position because of her demonstrated leadership & engagement with key stakeholders and influencers outside of animal agriculture directly. Hannah has delivered well over 100 presentations to audiences across the U.S. and four other countries on topics including issues management, crisis communications and proactive influencer engagement. She continues to lead the issues management, communications and media engagement efforts, and the Alliance’s media coverage doubled during Hannah’s years at Animal Agriculture Alliance. Hannah has been a member of NAMA since 2013 and has attended conferences and has presented two webinars for NAMA.

2021 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

NAMA

Koch Agronomic Services at AMS

Cindy Zimmerman

Koch Agronomic Services was one of the companies exhibiting at the Ag Media Summit this week in Kansas City.

Tim Laatsch, director of agronomy, says it gave them a chance to meet with ag media and tell them what is new with Koch. “At Koch we strive to be the leading technology solutions provider to maximize plant performance and minimize environmental impact,” said Laatsch.

Laatsch says Koch recently completed its acquisition of Compass Minerals’ North American micronutrient assets associated with Wolf Trax®, Rocket Seeds®and Hydro Bullet™ product platforms.

Be sure to listen and subscribe to the Field Notes podcast from Koch Agronomic Services which breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

In this interview, Laatsch talks about some of their solutions for farmers in the fall.
Interview with Tim Laatsch, Koch Agronomic Services 4:04

2021 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Technology