Farm Journal to Acquire AgFax

Cindy Zimmerman

Thanks to Farm Journal, the legacy of Owen Taylor and Debra Ferguson will soon have a new home.

Farm Journal has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the assets of AgFax, a multi-eNewsletter company that primarily serves producers growing cotton, rice, peanuts and tree crops. The weekly AgFax eNewsletters include: Southwest Cotton, Midsouth Cotton, Southeast Cotton, Southern Grain, Rice-Midsouth-Texas, Southern Grain and Midwest Grain. The bi-monthly issues include Weed Solutions-Midwest and Weed Solutions-Southern.

The owners of AgFax, Owen Taylor and Debra Ferguson, died in a car accident last December, leaving the business in the hands of their two children who are grateful for Farm Journal’s interest in carrying on their parents legacy.

“Our parents would be so proud to have the company they built become part of Farm Journal, an organization they worked with as freelancers decades ago. Farm Journal will certainly be a great home for AgFax,” said Taylor.

“The popular AgFax products will fold nicely into Farm Journal’s digital portfolio and expand our service to growers and input companies active with those crops,” said Andy Weber, Farm Journal CEO. “We are committed and proud to continue to serve these growers with the dedication and helpful information they’ve been accustomed to over the years.”

Cotton, Farm Journal, Media

Precision Ag News 4/28

Carrie Muehling

  • Topcon Agriculture announces new manual guidance and autosteering receivers — the AGM-1 and AGS-2 — and new Topnet Live cellular, satellite and bridging correction services: Realpoint, Starpoint, and Skybridge.
  • USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest $330 million in 85 locally driven, public-private partnerships to address climate change, improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. Projects are awarded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
  • As the prices of key crop production nutrients continues to rise, Loveland Products’ C2 Technology products, a proprietary product line of Nutrien Ag Solutions, are playing a critical role in helping producers manage nutrients while getting the most out of nutritional inputs.
  • The Irrigation Innovation Consortium (IIC) announced funding for seven research projects in 2021, three of which are led by Faculty Fellows of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI). The IIC is a university and industry collaboration that accelerates the development and adoption of water- and energy-efficient irrigation technology. DWFI and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln jointly are a founding member of the consortium and DWFI Director of Research Christopher Neale serves on its Executive Committee.
  • Nufarm Americas Inc. announced Ken Barham has been appointed VP Crop Protection Sales – US. Barham’s experience spans nearly 20 years in the US crop protection industry, most recently as Nufarm North America’s VP Customer & Brand Marketing during the past four years.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Student NAMA Award Winners Named

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMACongratulations to all the winners in the Student National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) competitions. Special congrats to the University of Guelph for winning the Marketing Competition!

The Student NAMA Program was virtual for the 2020-21 school year. The Student Awards Ceremony, held on 4/22/21, announced the Scholarship Recipients, Sales Competition winners & Marketing Competition winners. See the recording here.

Scholarships
$4000 Successful Farming/Fergie Ferguson Scholarship: Callie McClay, University of Illinois
$2500 Wayne Bollum Scholarship: Brianna Gable, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
$2000 Steve Vandeberg Scholarship: Brooke Courtney, Iowa State University
$1000 Mo-Kan Scholarship: Grace McDonald, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
$1000 Iowa Scholarship: Carla Edelman, Iowa State University

$1000 NAMA Foundation Scholarships
Emily Stambaugh, Pennsylvania State University
Grace Howe, Iowa State University
Megan Niewoehner, Iowa State University
Arslan Azeem, University of Regina
Hanna Spies, Iowa State University

Dr. John B. Riley Outstanding Student Advisor
Sarah Botham, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Outstanding Professional
Abby Bottenfield, nominated by Iowa State University
Read More

Education, Marketing, NAMA

Animal Ag News 4/26

Carrie Muehling

  • Ralco owners Brian & Mindy Knochenmus and Jon & Niter Knochenmus along with founder Lou Galbraith celebrated the company’s 50th anniversary Wednesday, April 21 with employees at their corporate headquarters in Marshall, Minnesota.
  • May is American Cheese Month, and Wisconsin, the State of Cheese®, is taking the celebration to a new level, with big plans all month long that coincide with the state’s 180th anniversary of cheesemaking. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is engaging consumers by highlighting Wisconsin Cheese in stores and restaurants across the country, through virtual events and on social media in a one-of-a-kind celebration that cheese lovers won’t want to miss. Watch for memorable and educational experiences for cheese lovers every week during American Cheese Month. Visit WisconsinCheese.com/WondersOfWisconsin to enter the ticket lottery for free exclusive events.
  • U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) are standing up for American dairy farmers by reintroducing bipartisan legislation in the Senate to combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names. Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) are introducing bipartisan companion legislation in the House.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is pleased to announce its recognition by Trade Show Executive on their Gold 100 shows, ranked by net square feet of exhibit space for 2019. IPPE came in at #21 on the listing, up from #31 in 2018.
  • The USPOULTRY Foundation recognizes Michael Robach for 30 years of dedicated service on the Foundation Research Advisory Committee (FRAC). Robach has more than 40 years of experience in the food industry, much of which was obtained while serving as vice president, Corporate Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory for Cargill.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 4/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative, announced that the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has joined America’s Conservation Ag Movement.
  • The American Seed Trade Association‘s Policy & Leadership Development Conference (PLDC), June 20-23, 2021, will be held as a hybrid-virtual conference, including an in-person series of events at the Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C. Register today.
  • Celebrate the achievements and impressive careers of the very best in agriculture. NAMA has FOUR different award opportunities with upcoming deadlines. Winners of these prestigious awards will be honored at the 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference, July 20-22, in Kansas City, MO. Submission deadline is April 30, 2021.
  • GROWMARK is a proud supporter of the National Agri-Marketing Association Collegiate Sales Competition, which announced winners from around North America this week. This was the second year for the event, which was held virtually April 14th and 15th with judges from GROWMARK and AgReliant Genetics, both sponsors of the contest. Students were given a certain amount of time for a sales pitch, in front of the judges, in which they were evaluated on presentation, business knowledge, and public speaking skills.
  • USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) inducted to its Hall of Fame three former employees whose impact continues to influence the agency and its staff. The NASS Hall of Fame honors individuals whose work has had a lasting impact on agricultural statistics and the service NASS provides.
  • Helping clients build businesses through informed strategy, insightful innovation and relentless execution is the mission of the Stratovation Group, LLC, a new boutique consulting firm officially launched by business development expert Cameron Camfield, founder and CEO of the new company.
  • Michael Torrey Associates (MTA) welcomes Danielle Nelson as part of its growing policy team. Danielle serves as the Director of Government Affairs at MTA where she provides strategic guidance to clients on a wide array of agriculture and food policy issues. Prior to joining MTA, Danielle held the role of Director of Public Policy at the Agriculture Retailers Association.
  • National Association of Wheat Growers Chief Executive Officer, Chandler Goule, announced today that Mariah Wollweber has been hired as the organization’s new Director of Communications and Partnerships, effective Monday, April 19, 2021.
Zimfo Bytes

Single Week Sorghum Sales Shatters Records

Cindy Zimmerman

Export sales of U.S. sorghum hit a single week record this month of more than 33.9 million bushels with almost all of it heading to China. That shatters the previous record set in August 2020 by more than 10 million bushels. In addition, new sales commitments of 33.8 million bushels, predominantly purchased by China, also topped the previous record for weekly sorghum sales of 32 million bushels, also set in August 2020.

National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust said, “U.S. sorghum exports continue to signal very strong demand for our crop, and new purchases at this level only reaffirm that.”

New crop purchases of U.S. sorghum for this point in marketing year are also at a record level, reaching 40 million bushels this past week—a 264 percent increase from the previous record set in 2014. These new crop purchases are significant, particularly in the wake of a + $5 Dec 2021 Chicago Board of Trade price.

“This is the strongest new crop demand we have ever seen at this time in the season,” Lust said. “Availability is so scarce that the sorghum crop being planted now is being marketed at the same time, and farmers have not even started planting in Kansas yet. This sends a strong demand signal to U.S. sorghum producers from our international customers, and we look forward to getting the 2021 crop in the ground.”

Lust comments:
National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust discusses record sales 1:29

Audio, Exports, sorghum

ZimmCast 669 – Stratovation Group

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

Happy Earth Day. This episode is being produced on the 2021 Earth Day and I’ve lost count of all the messages in my inbox or social media feeds as ag and food companies use the opportunity to bring focus to their efforts on caring for our environment. Agriculture has a lot to offer in the discussion on climate which has ramped up to a fever pitch under the new administration in Washington, DC.

So, let’s move on to this week’s program in which I have a conversation with Cameron Camfield, founder and CEO of Stratovation Group. Cam has lots of energy as you’ll hear in our discussion and he’s got it focused on working for his clients.

Stratovation GroupHelping clients build businesses through informed strategy, insightful innovation and relentless execution is the mission of the Stratovation Group, LLC, a new boutique consulting firm officially launched by business development expert Cameron Camfield, founder and CEO of the new company.

“I’ve spoken to many senior leaders who are coming out of this time of great upheaval with many, many questions,” says Camfield in announcing the new company. “We are setting up Stratovation to help them and their management teams find answers and efficiently, rapidly and profitably move ahead to better business.”

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 669 - Stratovation Group (17:34)

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. In case you didn’t know it you can find more podcast we produce in all your favorite podcast apps. That includes the Golden ZimmComm Mic Podcast, The Ethanol Report, Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services and the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to them.

If you would like to advertise in the ZimmCast or become an on-going sponsor please let me know and we’ll work out a plan just for you.

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Agencies, Audio, Marketing, ZimmCast

USDA Expands CRP and Funds Rural Infrastructure

Cindy Zimmerman

As President Biden opened a two-day virtual climate summit on Earth Day, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discussed the role USDA and agriculture will play in the administration goal calling for U.S. emissions to be 50% to 52% lower in 2030 compared to 2005.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. Additionally, USDA is announcing investments in partnerships to increase climate-smart agriculture, including $330 million in 85 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects and $25 million for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials.

In addition, USDA is investing $487 million in critical infrastructure that will help communities in 45 states build back better and stronger while prioritizing climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship. USDA is making the investments under the Water and Environmental Program, the Rural Energy for America Program, the Electric Loan Program and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program.

Secretary Vilsack held a media call Thursday to discuss the actions.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack press call 29:23

Audio, climate, Environment, USDA

Happy Earth Day – Take a Virtual Farm Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

Global Farmer NetworkThe Global Farmer Network has 5 new virtual farm tours that let you see practices GFN farmers are putting in place to protect and enhance the environment here on this Earth Day 2021. There are tours of farmers from the United States, New Zealand, India, Uruguay and the United Kingdom.

Make plans to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2021 by watching our new, virtual farm tours! The Global Farmer Network of farmers are showcasing regenerative agriculture practices used on their farms around the world. See how farmers protect the earth. New tours can be viewed here.

Ag Groups, climate, Conservation, Farming

Daugherty Water for Food Podcast – Episode 7

Cindy Zimmerman

This episode of the Daugherty Water for Food podcast features Nebraska state climatologist Martha Shulski for a discussion on the impact of climate change on society and the environment and how to talk about it.

Shulski is also a DWFI Faculty Fellow, associate professor of Applied Climate Science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, director of the Nebraska State Climate Office and a proud “weather nerd.” She was one of the contributing authors on the Fourth National Climate Assessment released in 2018 and took part in a recent Water for Food student forum.

Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 7 25:02

How to subscribe:

Audio, climate, Environment, Podcasts, Water for Food