Virtual ARA is Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) kicked off the 2020 ARA Conference & Expo as a virtual event Tuesday, featuring keynote speakers, engaging workshops, a 3D Expo Hall and networking opportunities.

Tuesday’s events included the debut of the 3D Expo Hall and the networking lounge as well as the opening general session featuring the ARA President’s Report from Daren Coppock and keynote speaker Kaihan Krippendorff. Following the opening session, The Scoop’s Margy Eckelkamp moderated a panel focused on insights showing the farmer of the future with Brett Sciotto and Scott Caine with Aimpoint Research.

On Monday, the ARA Board of Directors gathered for its quarterly meeting which included the review of regular business operations of the organization and opportunities to strengthen and create efficiencies.

“As the only national association representing the interests of agricultural retailers in Washington, D.C., ARA and its Board of Directors are always seeking avenues to strengthen the voice of the ag retailer,” said Coppock. “And the changes in leadership from this year’s election make it more important than ever to remain or become involved at a grassroots level.”

Registration is still open to attend the remaining sessions today and gain access to the session recordings to watch on demand.

Listen to Coppock’s president’s report below and find more content from the annual conference in the AgNewsWire virtual newsroom.

2020 ARA President's Report with Daren Coppock, president and CEO (10:47)

2020 ARA Virtual Conference & Expo Photo Album

ARA, Audio

Animal Ag News 11/30

Carrie Muehling

  • Rebel Nutrition and Proveta Nutrition Ltd. have joined forces under a new strategic partnership, designed to utilize the complementary expertise and resources of both companies to support new synergies and enhanced animal feed solutions – bringing both short- and long-term advantages for producers in the Swift Current area and more broadly across the West.
  • Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, released the following statement in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule that would maintain flexibility in USDA child nutrition program meal requirements related to milk: “According to the federal government, American children and adolescents over four years old are not consuming enough dairy to meet federal dietary recommendations. Yet, over the past several years, the varieties of milk that can be offered to kids in school have been reduced. First, whole milk disappeared; then 2%; and then finally 1% flavored milk which kids prefer compared to non-fat flavored milk. As a result, we’re losing a generation of milk drinkers and pushing kids toward less healthy options including soft drinks, juices and/or caffeinated beverages. None of these replacements compare to the nutritional advantages of milk. That’s why IDFA is pleased to see USDA propose changes to bring low-fat flavored milk back to school nutrition programs. It has been proven time and again in schools across the country that when schools offer flavored milks, kids not only drink more milk—they are more likely to participate in the school meal programs and waste less food, acquiring more vitamins and nutrients. In fact, about 73 percent of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products. Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in the diet of children 2-18 years. It’s clear that low-fat flavored milk is highly nutritious, offering vitamins and minerals all kids need and most kids lack.”
  • Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, previewed the 2021 Food Systems Summit and its implications for U.S. agriculture during her keynote address of the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Summit held virtually, Nov. 18-19. Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, opened the Sustainable Agriculture Summit with a review of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the world. She said Feeding America projects an 8 billion meal deficit in the charitable food system over the next 12 months, and that the virus created a “reframing” of how people think about and define a sustainable food system.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 8

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (Koch) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

The experts we’ve heard from on our previous episodes have covered topics ranging from how different crops use nitrogen to the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship and how growers and retailers work together to choose the best input for an operation. If you haven’t checked out the previous prior six episodes, you can find them on your favorite podcast platform.

Nitrogen Protection and Urea Ammonium Nitrate

This episode addresses nitrogen protection and Urea Ammonium Nitrate – better known as UAN. You’ll hear Tim Laatsch, director of agronomy for North America, and Sara Beasley, territory sales manager, both with Koch Agronomic Services. They’ll discuss this versatile source of plant nutrition, how and where it’s used in North America and what growers can do to protect their nutrient investment while improving plant health and productivity.

You can listen to the program here: Nitrogen Protection and Urea Ammonium Nitrate

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Agribusiness, Agronomy, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil

ARA All in for Ag Retail

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association annual 2020 ARA Conference & Expo is a virtual event this year and being held this week, December 1-2. Ag professionals from across the country are going “All In For Ag Retail” with interactive workshops, engaging networking opportunities, and a 3D Expo Hall.

The main event kicks off on Tuesday morning with the general session and expo hall opening and Wednesday will also offer a full day of activities. Registration is available anytime.

In this interview, ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock comments on the impacts of 2020 on the ag retail industry and provides a preview of the conference.

2020 ARA preview interview with Daren Coppock, president and CEO (7:11)

ARA Chairman Rod Wells with GROWMARK offers a look at the virtual format in this video:


ag retailers, ARA, Audio, Video

Heliae® Ag Webinar Series Rethinks Soil Health

Cindy Zimmerman

More than 900 participants joined in November 17 and 18 for Heliae® Agriculture’s two-day virtual event “Rethinking Soil Productivity” to learn about soil health strategies and farm trial results from a variety of regions.

The event featured two main morning sessions and six afternoon breakout sessions spread out over two days, with a focus placed on soil health, regenerative agriculture and the soil health benefits that come from the incorporation of the specialized microalgae. Both days featured three breakout sessions focused on diverse regions throughout the United States and Canada, including a session held entirely in Spanish with crop data from the United States and South America.

These sessions showcased regional PhycoTerra® trial results and the soil health benefits that every soil type can gain from the incorporation of this specialized microalgae. All sessions featured a dedicated live Q&A segment that allowed viewers to submit questions to the panels of professionals for real-time answers.

Heliae® Agriculture will be sponsoring an upcoming webinar in partnership with No-Till Farmer on regenerative agriculture and an exciting new product being launched in the spring, PhycoTerra® ST (Seed Treatment). This webinar will be held on January 19, 2021. Another Heliae hosted webinar featuring news surrounding the PhycoTerra® ST launch will also be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Follow phycoterra.com/blog for the registration and more information.

Videos of all presentations are now posted on the PhycoTerra® blog. To view recaps and recorded versions of all sessions, click this link.

Learn more about the virtual event and what Heliae Agriculture is all about in these interviews with Norm Davy, Chief Revenue Offer at Heliae® Agriculture and Dr. Karl Wyant, VP of Ag Science at Heliae® Agriculture.

2020 NAFB Interview with Norm Davy, Heliae Agriculture (9:09)

2020 NAFB Interview with Dr. Karl Wyant, Heliae Agriculture (15:56)

Audio, Soil, Sustainability

Industry Ag News 11/27

Carrie Muehling

  • Miami International Holdings, Inc., the parent holding company of the MIAX Exchange Group™, and the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, Inc., a Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization, announced that in connection with MIH’s anticipated acquisition of MGEX, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved the transfer of MGEX’s Contract Market Designation to Minneapolis Grain Exchange, LLC, an entity created for purposes of the transaction.
  • USDA is proud to announce the official launch of its AskUSDA program. In an effort to transform how the public interacts with the Department, the AskUSDA program has been established as the “one front door” for customers to access information and help from USDA. AskUSDA gives customers the ability to resolve questions by creating a single destination for phone, chat and web inquiries in order to create a more streamlined experience for the public. AskUSDA also hosts over five thousand knowledge articles that facilitate self-service customer service to address citizens’ most common issues and questions.
  • John Deere and top country artists Dustin Lynch, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Travis Denning and Tyler Farr are coming together to raise money for farmers in need. On December 9, these musicians will be performing at The Farm Must Go On by John Deere virtual benefit concert. Fans can join John Deere in its support for Farm Rescue with the chance to win exclusive virtual meet and greets with the performing artists. To enter, fans can show support by donating a minimum of $10 here.
  • COVID-19 has forced marketers to rethink live events and how brands activate. Hear how the experiential team at OBP charted a new course for their clients at Farm Progress Show — and how they’re using these learnings to redefine experiential for the future. The webinar, entitled “Case Study: The Future of Experiential” with Zach Hicks, John Roth & David Camma from OBP, is scheduled for December 3 at 11 a.m. CST. Registration is free for NAMA members and $40 for non-members.
  • Farm Foundation® and Farm Credit will host Training for Success: Resources and Tools for Working with Beginning Farmers and Ranchers—a free, two-day virtual conference—on December 10-11, 2020. A follow-up to November’s Emerging Research on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Conference, which highlighted academic research, this event will focus on providing practitioners and organizations with practical tools and information to support new agriculture professionals. The conference will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST on December 10, and 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST on December 11, with networking opportunities both days until 4:00 p.m. CST. Attendees may review session descriptions and register at farmfoundation.org/training-for-success.
  • On Fri., Dec. 4, 2020, Discovery Park of America will offer media and leaders in agriculture a sneak peek at its new exhibit, “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival.” This one-million- dollar permanent exhibit located in Discovery Park’s 14,000-square-foot Simmons Bank Ag Center will tell the stories of farming innovation in the past, present — and especially — future.
Zimfo Bytes

Precision Ag News 11/25

Carrie Muehling

  • In 2018, an epidemic of corn tar spot plagued corn growers from Florida to Michigan. This plant disease, caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis, reduced corn yields by as much as 60 bushels per acre. Compounding difficulties, the fungus cannot be grown in a lab, limiting scientists’ understanding of how to fight it. To combat its spread, the Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research awarded a $150,000 Rapid Outcomes for Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to a group of plant pathologists to study and mitigate tar spot on corn. This ROAR grant was matched by the National Corn Growers Association, Corteva Agriscience, Wyffels Hybrids, Illinois Corn Growers Association and Purdue University for a total investment of $300,000.
  • NACHURS® Turf & Ornamental, a brand of Nachurs Alpine Solutions®, has announced the commercialization of a new line of products called Enhanced Turfgrass Management®, a group of turfgrass supplements that represent a unique new approach for improved turfgrass management.
  • At its virtual annual conference this week, AgGateway honored exemplary individuals who have made outstanding contributions in advancing the industry’s transition to digital agriculture. These digital solutions help companies reduce errors and increase efficiency; achieve interoperability in hardware and software systems to turn data into value; and leverage global resources and business relationships needed to enhance productivity, traceability and sustainability. Ann Vande Lune, Agronomy Administrator at Key Cooperative, received AgGateway’s Ron Storms Leadership Award, the organization’s top honor.
  • Major investments and an enhanced breeding strategy are producing tangible results in the Golden Harvest® corn portfolio. New heights in bushels per acre arrive just as farmers seek new ways to maximize their profit potential in the 2021 growing season. The key to these improvements is a commitment from Syngenta to spend $1.4 billion every year on global research and development, supporting the company’s seeds, traits, digital and crop protection businesses – and the customers they benefit.
  • Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business at Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, announced a new collaboration with EFC Systems, Inc., a leading provider of solutions for ag retailers and growers. This initiative will unlock new value for ag retailers by allowing them to offer their growers an easy way to benchmark their current level of stewardship and identify additional practices and products that could benefit their farm, improve productivity and profitability, and better position their businesses and care for natural resources for the long term.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Down 4%

Cindy Zimmerman

You might not be having a feast for ten people this Thanksgiving, but if you are, you can be thankful that it costs less than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey.

Farm Bureau’s 35th annual survey indicates the average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving feast for 10 remains affordable at $46.90 or less than $5.00 per person. This is a $2.01 decrease from last year’s average of $48.91.

“The average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner is the lowest since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton. “Pricing whole turkeys as ‘loss leaders’ to entice shoppers and move product is a strategy we’re seeing retailers use that’s increasingly common the closer we get to the holiday,” he explained.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs less than last year, at $19.39 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.21 per pound, down 7% from last year. The survey results show that retail turkey prices are the lowest since 2010.

Click here to see the cost comparison for the whole dinner including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk.

AFBF, Food

ZimmCast 660 – Interviews from Virtual 2020 NAFB

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this week’s program Cindy and I share excerpts from interviews we recorded for the NAFB virtual convention. Some of these were before the convention so that they could be used in their virtual booth during Trade Talk. And some of them we recorded during the session.

Included are now past NAFB President, Rita Frazer, RFD Radio; Liz Hunt, Syngenta; Andy LaVigne, American Seed Trade Association (ASTA); Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Norm Davy, Heliae Agriculture.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 660 - Interviews from NAFB Trade Talk (25:05)

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, NAFB, ZimmCast

Syngenta Offers Advice for CRW Pressure

Cindy Zimmerman

Weakened roots due to corn rootworm (CRW) pressure helped to result in more downed corn in several Midwestern states this year from windstorms and the infamous derecho. Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota were among the states most affected this year, according to Syngenta. Other areas seeing heavier than normal CRW pressure this year included key rootworm geographies of northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Colorado

Syngenta launched a CRW monitoring program this year to help growers minimize long-term impact through specific management strategies.​​​​ CRW was one of the topics addressed by Syngenta specialists during the NAFB virtual Trade Talk last week.

Listen to Drew Showalter, Strategic Marketing Manager for Corn, and Meade McDonald, Syngenta insecticide product lead, discuss CRW pressure in 2020 and how growers can prepare to manage it in 2021.

2020 NAFB Interview with Drew Showalter and Meade McDonald, Syngenta 14:44

Audio, Corn, Crop Protection, Insecticides, NAFB, Syngenta