Fastline Marketing Group Launched

Chuck Zimmerman

Fastline Marketing GroupFastline is now a full service agency according to this announcement. The company provides a full suite of digital offerings including website development, SEO, digital advertising, social media and email marketing.

Fastline, known primarily for its print and online marketplace for farm equipment, parts and machinery, is rebranding and repositioning as Fastline Marketing Group. The new name highlights an expanded and evolving suite of digital and marketing tools the company offers to the agricultural community alongside its traditional media properties.

Fastline Marketing Group is a full-service agency that provides marketing solutions exclusively for agricultural dealers and manufacturers, many of whom lack the time and resources to market their business. With the rebranding, Fastline has positioned itself to help its core customers tackle the challenges of an ever-changing digital landscape, while building off more than 40 years of industry experience.

“Fastline has grown and evolved alongside our core audience throughout our history,” said John M. Anderson, President of Fastline Marketing Group. “We pride ourselves on listening to our customers —both the dealers and farmers ­— to create solutions that meet their needs. Fastline Marketing Group is a natural continuation of that promise and combines our experience with innovative marketing tools geared specifically to the agricultural industry.”

Agencies, Marketing, Media

2021 Commodity Classic Special Edition Week

Chuck Zimmerman

2021 Commodity ClassicWelcome to 2021 Commodity Classic Special Edition Week. It is being “Delivered Right to Your Farm” since it is online only this year. For most people I know, the 2020 event was the last in-person one they attended.

Cindy and I have attended many of these over the years. In fact, Cindy has a Commodity Classic photo album collection from the last 15 years. Feel free to take a look and see who you know or remember.

If you haven’t registered yet then don’t delay. The agenda kicks off tomorrow with press conferences and then the Opening General Session.

Commodity Classic

Ag Secretary Vilsack Addresses NFU

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack started his first full week of work Monday addressing the National Farmers Union’s virtual convention, the first of many appearances he will likely be making to agricultural organizations. As secretary under the Obama Administration for eight years, Vilsack made an effort to attend as many agriculture and biofuel related events as possible each year.

NFU officially convened the final portion of its 119th Anniversary Convention this week with more than 500 farmers, ranchers, and other participants from across the country registered. Secretary Vilsack addressed several important issues in his remarks, including “new, more, fairer and better markets,” carbon sequestration, biofuels, and COVID relief.

USDA Secretary Vilsack addresses NFU convention 13:08

Ag Groups, Audio, USDA

Animal Ag News 3/1

Carrie Muehling

  • During the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) virtual Winter Reboot conference, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall and NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane discussed the state of the industry and priority issues in Washington, D.C. that could affect cattlemen and women.
  • RealmFive announced the release of its Barn View product suite, a new product lineup for use in swine production facilities. Barn View product suite utilizes a wireless system of hardware that records data generated by feedlines, flowmeters, and environmental monitors and sends the data to the cloud through a cellular gateway network, with more sensors and data sources coming online quickly. A single RealmFive gateway can service dozens of monitors in multiple barns at remote sites. The data is then available to the producer through the R5 Click online platform or to partner platforms. Inside R5 Click producers can access the data from any browser-equipped device.
  • The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards – celebrating its 10-year anniversary – is seeking nominations for its Class of 2021. The farmer-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which unites the industry through a shared social responsibility platform, launched the awards to honor exceptional farms, businesses and partnerships for their socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that have a broad and positive impact. The deadline for award submissions is March 26 and they can be submitted at www.USDairy.com/2021Awards.
  • A Chicago-based start-up has launched GoodSport, a sports drink that is 97 percent dairy and aims to compete nationally against leading brands. This first-of-its-kind natural sports drink made from the goodness of milk and backed by science will be available this month at Amazon.com and www.goodsport.com. Broader retail distribution is planned for later this year. The product launched with support from the dairy checkoff and other industry groups.
  • The National Dairy FARM Program has published its 2020 Year in Review. Serving as the annual summary of the achievements and program developments of the FARM Program, the Year in Review showcases successes and challenges during a year of change and uncertainty.
  • The Public Lands Council announced their 2021 Legislative Conference is being held virtually March 23-25, 2021. This is the perfect opportunity for livestock producers to learn more about the federal policymaking process, with no cost to attend.
  • People wanting to support the newly-chartered Center of Excellence for Bison Studies now have an opportunity to double the value of their contribution, thanks to two generous donors committing challenge grants to support fundraising efforts last week. Following a presentation on the Center’s activities at the National Bison Association Winter Conference last week, an anonymous donor offered to match up to $50,000 in new donations in support of the Center. Immediately after that announcement, John Flocchini of the Durham Ranch in Wyoming announced that the ranch would match the $50,000 commitment and would pledge an additional $50,000 as a new challenge grant. Conference participants stepped up with pledges of $23,000 toward that second $50,000 challenge. The next $27,000 in pledges will continue to be matched by the Durham Ranch. Those pledges can be submitted to the National Buffalo Foundation.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 2/26

Carrie Muehling

  • Farm Market iD has been acquired by DTN, LLC. Based near Minneapolis, MN and with operations around the world, DTN is a leading provider of operational intelligence solutions to global agriculture, oil and gas, and other weather-sensitive industries.
  • Living Greens Farm, the largest vertical, indoor aeroponic farm in the US that provides year-round fresh salads, salad kits, microgreens and herbs, has announced that Joe Donnelly, former Congressman and Senator from Indiana has joined their Advisory Board, effective January 2021.
  • Honey bees and other pollinators play an important role in the agricultural ecosystem. These same pollinators are under stress from a number of factors: pests, disease, lack of habitat, and more. The GROWMARK System would like to help 4-H clubs do their part to help sustain and increase honey bee populations. This is the sixth year of the program, open to 4-H clubs, Ag in the Classroom groups, and FFA chapters in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Groups who previously participated in the program have been automatically re-enrolled. Clubs wishing to participate should fill out the online application by March 12, 2021.
  • Matt Brechwald, the host of the Off-Farm Income Podcast, who proudly refers to himself as “The World’s Most Prolific Agricultural Podcaster”, based on an article that referred to him that way, is celebrating the 1,000th episode of the Off-Farm Income Podcast this week.
  • Farm supply retailer Southern States Cooperative is holding a month-long fundraiser to help raise money for FFA at the local, state, and national levels. Southern States is holding its annual FFA Paper Emblem campaign throughout the month of March where customers can donate $1 or more at checkout and sign their name on an “I’m Supporting FFA” emblem that will be displayed in the store’s window.
  • The California Walnut Board will be conducting its biennial election of walnut growers and handlers statewide to serve as members and alternates for the next two-year term beginning on September 1, 2021 and ending on August 31, 2023. Walnut growers are eligible to petition the California Walnut Board to have the name of their candidate included on the 2021 nomination ballot.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is pleased to announce the election of Dietz Lankhorst, President and CEO of Krone NA, Inc. and Keith Johnson, P.E., President of Kondex Corporation to its Ag Sector Board.
  • The produce industry’s premier domestic networking event, West Coast Produce Expo, is set for May 18-19, 2021, in Las Vegas. The event was moved from its traditional location in California for this year to provide a COVID-conscious environment. The event will continue to deliver the same high-quality connection opportunities for attendees and exhibitors, backed by The Packer’s industry expertise and data.
  • Fifty-eight partners of the Crop Insurance Coalition, representing farmers, lenders, agricultural input providers, and conservation groups sent letters to key lawmakers and the Administration opposing cuts to crop insurance during the upcoming fiscal year 2022 budget process.
  • The final two days of National Farmers Union’s (NFU) 119th Anniversary Convention will bring together members, industry professionals, policymakers, and reporters for remarks from Congressional leadership and administration officials, award presentations, and the organization’s signature grassroots policy adoption process. Held on Monday, March 1, and Tuesday, March 2, the concluding session wraps up a month-long virtual event ­– NFU’s first convention to be held fully online. Recordings of previous sessions can be viewed on NFU’s YouTube channel.
  • Aimpoint Research®, a global, strategic intelligence firm, recently welcomed Lauren Schwab Eyre of Eaton, Ohio as an Agri-Food WatchDesk Analyst.
Zimfo Bytes

Secretary Vilsack Back at USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack became current secretary under the Biden Administration this week, returning to the job he held for eight years under President Obama. Secretary Vilsack was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, sworn in virtually by Vice President Harris on Wednesday, and held his first press call with reporters Thursday morning.

The first issue Vilsack addressed was the priority of the Biden Administration to beat COVID-19, which is taking a higher toll on rural areas. He announced that USDA is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities. The investments include $24 million provided through the CARES Act and will benefit five million rural residents.

“Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance,” said Vilsack. “With health care and education increasingly moving to online platforms, the time is now to make historic investments in rural America to improve quality of life for decades to come.”

Vilsack said it is a different USDA that he will be leading, compared to the department he left in 2016, mainly due to COVID. He is still in Iowa and says most others in the department will continue to work remotely for now with only about 350 people at work in the building in Washington DC.

USDA Secretary Vilsack press call 42:33

Audio, USDA

Yara North America Launches Irrigation Solution for CA Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Yara North America today launched Farm Water Advisor, an irrigation solution now offered free of charge for all California growers and advisors for immediate use. Developed in partnership with The Weather Company, an IBM business, Farm Water Advisor uses a range of data to provide hyper-local weather forecasts and recommend the best schedule for maximum yields.

“We have focused on some of the largest acreage crops in California, including nut trees, citrus, grapes and olives,” said Scott Warr, commercial manager for digital farming at Yara North America. “We knew there was a need for a simple and accurate solution that any grower could use with or without other scheduling tools. Farm Water Advisor puts this power in the palm of your hand.”

Farm Water Advisor advises farmers when, where and how much to irrigate for the coming seven days, and allows them to fine-tune their crop performance. The most effective irrigation schedules begin with accurate evapotranspiration forecasts, field-specific soil infiltration models, crop water demand curves and irrigation application rates.

The irrigation scheduling solution is currently available for California growers and advisors working with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, grapes, mandarins, oranges, lemons, grapefruit and olives. This free solution is available as a native smartphone application (iOS and Android) and as a desktop web application.

To learn more about Farm Water Advisor, visit: farmwateradvisor.com. To read up on Yara North America and its many accomplishments over the last 75 years, visit: www.yara.us or www.yara.ca.

AgWired Precision, Apps, Precision Agriculture, Produce, specialty crops, Water

Precision Ag News 2/24

Carrie Muehling

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th International IPM Symposium has been postponed from March 2021 to February 28 – March 3, 2022, in Denver, Colo.
  • Kubota Tractor Corporation announced an update to its wheel loader lineup with the launch of the new R540 and R640 models. The next-generation wheel loaders are available in both canopy and cab models and feature improved visibility, enhanced operator comfort and increased performance over the previous R30 Series models.
  • PureAcre™ is expanding their team by hiring Brandon Badgley as Account Director. The Texas-based agricultural innovation company provides high-performance, Earth-friendly nutritionals and biostimulants that maximize plant performance and fertilizer efficiency; and Badgley will oversee sales and account relationships and introduce new products to the row crop and specialty crop markets.
  • A&L Biological Inc., a subsidiary of A&L Canada Laboratories Inc., announced it will research and develop products from cricket frass, a by-product of the Aspire Food Group’s future cricket production and processing facility in London, Ontario.
  • Corn weed control gets a fresh take this season as production starts on three Empyros™ corn herbicides from Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC. Empyros, Empyros Triad and Empyros Triad Flex recently received federal registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These groundbreaking pre- and early post-emergence herbicides provide excellent control of broadleaf weeds and grasses with novel combinations of the newest HPPD inhibitor to hit the U.S. corn market.
  • Responding to strong farmer demand and proven performance, Kinze will expand its True Speed high-speed planting technology to five more planter configurations for the 2022 season. The company is also introducing several new features to enhance its innovative Blue Vantage planter display.
  • Gradable™, a leading technology and services provider for scoring, sourcing, and pricing Low-Carbon Grain from farm-to-fork, announced it has launched Gradable Carbon, a groundbreaking offering that empowers farmers to generate carbon credits, and gives them flexibility over when and where they sell them.
  • Azotic North America announces the addition of John Squire to lead their agronomic programs in the United States and Canada. Squire brings decades of experience and deep expertise in crop science to helping farmers take advantage of Envita’s revolutionary nitrogen-fixing mode of action.
  • Precision Tank launched its first e-commerce website, making it easier than ever to choose, order and purchase agriculture equipment parts. Precision Tank’s online store includes thousands of parts in inventory that are ready to ship with just a few simple clicks.
  • The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance recognized several recipients recently during the 2021 virtual conference for their stewardship work. The recipients include: Program Excellence – Dr. Don Renchie, Texas Agri-life Extension Service, Texas A&M University; Program Innovation Award – Schuetz Container Systems, Plainfield, IN; and Leadership in Product Stewardship – Private or the “Pizzy” Award – Scott Birchfield, Syngenta Crop Protection.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Land O’Lakes Reports Strong Earnings Increase for 2020

Cindy Zimmerman

2020 was a pretty good year for Land O’Lakes, Inc., reporting a 29 percent earnings increase over 2019.

The farmer-owned cooperative reports net sales of $13.9 billion and net earnings of $266 million for the year ending December 31, 2020, compared to net sales of $13.9 billion and net earnings of $207 million in 2019. Net Earnings improved $59.1 million compared to the prior year despite the economic challenges and volatile market conditions due to impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

President and CEO Beth Ford said, “We focused on growth in a challenging environment by standing up e-commerce across the business units as everyone moved online, developing revenue options for farmers and working to offset significant market declines.”

2020 earnings strength was driven by improved performance in our core Dairy Foods and Animal Nutrition businesses. Dairy Foods earnings were higher due to strong sales of our retail products including butters and spreads and our Kozy Shack product lines, which more than offset volume declines in Food service and the impacts of commodity market volatility.

Animal Nutrition earnings were also higher due to growth in all lifestyle species – animals like backyard flock and horse – and improved performance in Premix. Crop Inputs earnings were lower as Crop Protection margins were compressed due to unfavorable product mix driven by grower buying decisions and basic manufacturers lowering prices. Crop Inputs showed improved performance in both its Crop Nutrition and International businesses while leveraging its investment in digital sales platforms to help its network of brick-and-mortar retailers avoid service disruptions throughout the pandemic.

More information about the company’s 2020 performance can be found at www.landolakesinc.com/investors.

Agribusiness, Cooperatives, Farming

TN Farm Bureau Expands Shooting Hunger Fundraiser

Cindy Zimmerman

A high-powered program developed to take aim at food insecurity in Tennessee is expanding its sites to the entire state.

During what was one of the hardest years for the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Tennessee saw a 26.6% increase in food insecurity with every 1 in 6 adults needing food support. Shooting Hunger, an annual fundraising event that helps feed hungry Tennesseans through regional food banks, raised $222,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN and Mid-South Food Bank, and provided more than 2 million meals to those in need in 2020, recognizing the urgent need to provide for those gone hungry.

This year, Shooting Hunger plans to expand its reach by distributing the funds raised evenly among all 95 counties in the state. A majority of the funds raised will be used to provide weekly backpacks full of food for school children without access to school lunch, with an overall goal to provide 100,000 backpack meals.

Shooting Hunger was started by Tennessee Farm Bureau and Farm Credit Mid-America in 2015 as a way to bring Tennessee agriculture and Tennessee businesses together and provide for hungry Tennesseans. This year, in addition to expanding its monetary contributions across the state, Shooting Hunger is adding a third sporting clays shooting event in East Tennessee, in addition to the events in West and Middle Tennessee The events are hosted by Tennessee Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America, Rural 1st and Tennessee Farmers Coop.

Donations to Shooting Hunger are accepted year-round, and can be made on shootinghunger.com.

Farming, Food, Hunting