Animal Ag News 9/8

Carrie Muehling

  • College students across the country are gearing up for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online scholarship competition which kicks off September 14. This year’s students and collegiate clubs are competing for more than $20,000 in scholarships throughout the nine-week program. For more information or to sign up, visit https://collegeaggies.animalagalliance.org.
  • The National Corn Growers Association is the sole sponsor of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattlemen’s Education Series, engaging with cattle producers on production efficiency, profitability and sustainability. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many grant-funded in-person events have been canceled, but corn and cattle have been able to innovate new solutions aimed at connecting agriculturalists with the latest industry information.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is launching the ninth annual IPPE Young Leaders Under 30 Program targeting young professionals who normally would not have the opportunity to attend IPPE. The goal of the program is to engage and invest in the next generation of young professionals, between the ages of 21 and 29, who work for companies directly involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or in the production of animal food. Interested applicants must apply to the program by Oct. 16 and meet select requirements, including being a member of at least one of the following IPPE sponsor organizations: the American Feed Industry Association, North American Meat Institute or U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
  • September is #HungerActionMonth. Feeding America projects 1 in 6 people in America could face hunger in the wake of the pandemic. That’s why the dairy industry is leading the way to raise gallons all month to help get milk to those who need it most. Please check out the Raising Gallons video on the front page of www.USDairy.com.
  • The Nature Conservancy, McDonald’s, Cargill and Target are coming together to launch a new five-year, $8.5 million project aimed at working with Nebraska farmers to advance proven soil health practices to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and help farmers adapt to climate change. Overall, this effort has the potential to sequester 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the course of the project – equivalent to removing over 32,000 cars from the road in one year.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 9/4

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue designated 18 Iowa counties as primary natural disaster areas, enabling producers who suffered losses because of the recent Derecho, that occurred on August 10, 2020, to be eligible for emergency loans. Additionally, Perdue reminded producers about the suite of disaster assistance programs available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including program flexibilities and a special signup through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
  • Deputy Undersecretary for Research, Education, Economics Dr. Scott Hutchins announced that USDA has named Dr. Spiro Stefanou to lead the Economic Research Service (ERS) as its new Administrator.
  • MGEX reports that August 2020 was the second-best month in history with a total monthly volume of 318,992 contracts. This past month was also the best August in Exchange history, beating the previous record holder, August 2017, by nearly 7,500 contracts.
  • The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan to guide the association for 2020-25. The months-long process was produced in coordination with Nuffer Smith Tucker Public Relations.
  • The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) elected a new slate of officers for the coming year. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles will serve as NASDA’s 2020-2021 President and will host the 2021 NASDA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky on September 19-22, 2021.
  • Agri-AFC, GreenPoint AG, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s wholesale agronomy business announce the formation of a joint venture combining their agronomy operations. The combination will include all operations of Agri-AFC, LLC’s wholesale and retail business, GreenPoint AG’s retail business, and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s wholesale agronomy business. The new venture will do business under the name GreenPoint AG.
  • U.S. Hemp Growers Association has announced the organization’s Founding Board of Directors. Michael Bowman is the chair.
  • Registration is now open for the American Seed Trade Association‘s CSS & Seed Expo virtual. Register by Sept. 15 for “First Access” including deeper discounts and the ASTA attendee roster.
  • Syngenta Group opens its first major manufacturing facility since the formation of the Group in June 2020. This step marks a major strategic investment in the Group’s Crop Protection business. It is also an important building block in the Group’s overall strategy to drive growth, upgrade delivery and continue market leadership in crop protection. The plant had formerly been operated by pharmaceutical company Novartis and 70 employees will be retained within Syngenta Group.
  • Start making your plans to virtually attend the 2020 NAFB Virtual Convention, set for November 18-20. Virtual Trade Talk is slated for Thursday, and there will be plenty of networking opportunities, newsmaker sessions, and more throughout the online event. Register here.
  • The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI), recently held the Women Leaders in Water for Food webinar on August 27. Watch a recorded version of the full webinar here. To find a specific speaker’s remarks, click the corresponding timestamp by expanding the video’s description.
  • Farmer’s Business Network, Inc. launched GRO Network™, which provides new technology and services that facilitate the scoring, sourcing, and pricing of Low-Carbon Grain from farm to fork, making environmental transparency in the grain industry a reality now.
  • The Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data welcomes Lindsay Thompson as the new executive director.
Zimfo Bytes

Farmobile Announces Farmobile Index for Harvest

Cindy Zimmerman

Agricultural data company Farmobile LLC today announced the release of the Farmobile Index for Harvest — a crop progress and benchmarking tool that provides daily, state-level crop insights as corn and soybeans are harvested. Users can view total aggregated harvested acres/yield for an individual state or a group of states and chosen date ranges.

Uniquely crowd-sourced by and for the farmers, who use the Farmobile PUC™ device to collect real-time field and fleet data, the Farmobile Index for Harvest also allows users to compare results against USDA-NASS estimates. All Farmobile subscribers have exclusive, immediate and free access to this data tool. Earlier this spring, the Farmobile Index for Planting was released following a full year of 2019 farmer-testing. The Farmobile Index, now available for both harvest and planting seasons, enables all farmer-users to obtain a holistic view of the crop year.

According to Farmobile CEO Jason Tatge, tools like the Farmobile Index are fueled by collecting ground-truthed, organized, top quality, real-time data to power decision making.

“Unlike other means of evaluating crop yield — such as satellite imagery, rainfall, temperature maps, surveys, and public data — the Farmobile Index updates in real-time to uncover insights the rest of the marketplace may not realize for weeks,” said Tatge. “When paired with the Farmobile Index for Planting, released this spring, the harvest functionality ultimately brings the power back to the farmer as they head into the harvest season. It’s not a best-guess. It’s the truth about yield as it happens, and it’s the edge that farmers deserve to make the strategic decisions today that define their future profit.”

As always, the privacy and security of farmers is paramount to Farmobile. Only data totals, aggregated at the state-level, are used for Farmobile Index insights. No identifiable farm data or individual Electronic Field Records are shared. Users’ control over their data is strictly protected by Farmobile’s data privacy and permissioning protocol. The Farmobile Index was created to benefit subscribers by providing “first-to-know” insights. Results are not intended for public use.

The Farmobile Index for Harvest (and Planting) is available to Farmobile subscribers via the Farmobile DataEngine platform. Farmobile anticipates harvest data to be available online for subscribers in mid September (contingent on harvest conditions).

AgWired Precision, data, Farming, Harvest, Precision Agriculture

Precision Ag News 9/2

Carrie Muehling

  • Pioneering a new way to present a farm show wasn’t in the cards when Matt Jungmann started on work for the Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days in 2020. But external forces have readjusted the routine for the Farm Progress events manager. The result is the Farm Progress Virtual Experience, which opens its virtual gates on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and runs through Thursday, Sept. 17, with all premiered videos and material available to visitors into 2021.
  • Fall is the best time to establish a pollinator habitat for a couple of key reasons, according to Peter Berthelsen, with the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund, which is supported by the National Corn Growers Association. The first step in the enrollment process is to complete the Seed A Legacy program application form. Make sure to read and consider the complete Program Guidelines here.
  • ‘Kiss the Ground,’ a new Netflix movie, features soil health pioneers Ray Archuleta and Gabe Brown. The movie features a lineup of some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and faces, but two of its stars fly a little closer to the ground. In fact, newly minted movie stars, Ray Archuleta and Gabe Brown, make their living from the ground, teaching other farmers how to successfully transition to regenerative agriculture in order to restore healthy food, soil, farms and profits.
  • AgBiome announced that Howler fungicide has been approved by the state regulators in California and New York, making the product approved for sale and use in 49 of the 50 U.S. states (Hawaii pending).
  • In another effort to remove barriers to innovation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that will streamline the regulation of certain plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) that pose no risks of concern to humans or the environment. This action – which will be available for public comment for 60 days – delivers on a key directive under President Trump’s Executive Order on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products.
  • Nufarm Americas, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of Panther MTZ herbicide. Panther MTZ is the latest in Nufarm’s portfolio of innovative Panther herbicides formulated to help growers gain weed management efficacy, resistance management and lasting residual control that improves flexibility come spring.
  • Raven demonstrates its autonomous platform, Dot®, for the first time at a public farm show in the United States at Farm Progress Virtual Experience.
  • CommoditAg is pleased to announce the addition of a new supplier, Main Street Data, to now offer data services that further expands the company’s line of high-quality farm products. The product, MarketVision, is a digital farm management tool that helps growers optimize grain trading and profits.
  • Salford Group, Inc. is pleased to announce they are partnering with Case IH to supply Salford’s industry-leading air boom application technology for the Case IH Titan Floaters chassis.
  • Soybean growers have a new seed option available for the 2021 growing season. BASF announces the U.S. launch of XitavoTM Brand soybean seed with Enlist E3® technology. Xitavo Brand soybean seed is owned by MS Technologies and exclusively distributed by BASF.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Farm Journal New American Farm Show is a Hit

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm Journal‘s 10 day “New American Farm Show” experience, which included Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Farm Journal Field Days and the #FarmON Benefit Concert, set a new industry standard for agricultural information exchange, with more than 50,000 farmers and ranchers from all 50 states participating.

The interactive experience included live crop reports and analysis, dynamic content, live discussion and virtual networking opportunities with th3e grand finale #FarmON Benefit Concert raising support for the National 4-H Council’s FOURWARD Fund for youth educational resources.

The Farm Journal Field Days virtual event engaged farmers and ranchers in a virtual experience never seen before in agriculture, including listening to panel discussions and speakers on the virtual platform’s main stage, learning about products and services from businesses showcased in the Expo Hall and networking with peers in the chat room and virtual beer garden. A survey of Farm Journal Field Days attendees provided this feedback to date:

• 87% said Farm Journal Field Days either met or exceeded their expectations
• 70% described their overall experience as very good or outstanding
• 85% plan to participate in another Farm Journal virtual event
• 87% would recommend Farm Journal Field Days to a friend or colleague
• 77% took action to learn more about a company or product they engaged with in the Expo Hall
• 75% felt companies that participated in Farm Journal Field Days cared more about connecting with farmers like themselves

All content in the Farm Journal Field Days virtual platform, including the #FarmON Benefit Concert, will continue to be available for on-demand viewing throughout the coming year, and people can still register to access that content.

You can find interviews and audio from Farm Journal Field Days on the AgNewsWire virtual newsroom for the event, which also includes some photos from the live event in Iowa.

Farm Journal, Farm Shows, Farming, Media

NASDA Honors Secretary Perdue

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) kicked off its virtual annual meeting Monday with comments from USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, and a virtual presentation of the NASDA Ambassadors Circle Award to him.

NASDA President and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring hosted the conversation with Secretary Perdue, who discussed how USDA has responded to COVID-19 impacts on farmers and ranchers and answered questions from NASDA members.

Secretary Perdue also commented on the announcement that USDA will extend free meals for kids through the end of this year.

Listen here:
NASDA and Secretary Perdue (27:25)

Audio, USDA

Animal Ag News 8/31

Carrie Muehling

  • On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Wisconsin agricultural commodity leaders will hold a virtual town hall to discuss the future of Wisconsin dairy and other Wisconsin ag products through the lens of trade and supply chains. The conversation, which is part of the AgTalks town hall series focusing on key U.S. ag states, comes at a time when Wisconsin’s competitiveness in agriculture is being impacted by the trade war, COVID-19, and an increase in non-US trade agreements with international customers that Wisconsin has traditionally served.
  • Join Luís Mendonça, DVM, Technical Services with Merck Animal Health in a RACE-approved webinar on Sept. 15 as he shares the findings of recent research studies and discusses how technology can be used to optimize fertility. He will also discuss the pros and cons of using heat detection, or timed AI programs for first service in replacement heifers. Register here.
  • A recent announcement by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations calls for a global response to African swine fever (ASF) that focuses on disease control, a collaborative framework and a business continuity plan to help protect trade against devastating losses. In recognition that pork is the world’s most consumed meat (35.6% of global meat consumption), the organizations announced a joint Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases 2020-2025. The global Initiative aims to foster national, regional and global partnerships to strengthen control measures and to minimize the impact of ASF.
  • Larry Schnell of Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange in Dickinson, North Dakota, was installed president of the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) at the 2020 Annual LMA Membership Meeting, held virtually on Sunday, August 23. Schnell will complete a two-year term leading the nation’s largest, livestock marketing trade association that represents more than 800 local livestock auction markets and allied businesses.
  • Dairy producers seeking an increase in feed efficiency may find it in Enogen® Feed corn, according to recently published research from Penn State University. An in-seed innovation available from Syngenta Seeds, Enogen corn enzyme technology converts starch to usable sugars more quickly than other corn.
  • Ralco announced that it has agreed to purchase the McLaughlin Estate outside of Marshall, Minn. to further expand research and development efforts to meet growing producer demand for their products. Ralco has been using natural approaches to improve nutrient conversion and reduce waste in plants and animals since 1971.
  • Research published in the July 2020 issue of Transboundary and Emerging Diseases stated that feeding Ralco’s Dual Defender™ feed additive prevented clinical signs of disease and mortality in pigs challenged with several viruses including Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV 174), and Senecavirus A (SVA). The research study was conducted by Dr. Scott Dee, Director of Research for Pipestone Research, LLC.
  • Allflex Livestock Intelligence announces the appointment of Paul Koffman to North America Lead, with responsibility for the company’s livestock identification, monitoring and traceability businesses in the United States and Canada. In his new role, Koffman will continue the legacy of customer focus and innovation that symbolizes Allflex Livestock Intelligence with the goal to continue to improve dairy and beef productivity, profitability and animal well-being.
  • “Feeding the People without Wasting the Planet” is the title of a webinar with Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the University of California, Davis on Sept. 1. Register here.
  • In the aftermath of the derecho, the extreme weather event that devastated several communities across Iowa on August 10, Alltech has established the Iowa Derecho Devastation Relief Fund to match donations dollar for dollar and provide goods and services to farmers and their local communities who have been directly impacted.
  • Registration is now open for the Public Lands Council’s (PLC) 52nd Annual Meeting. This year’s meeting will be entirely virtual on September 23-24, 2020. Registration is free for all participants.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

AMVAC® and Corteva® Collaborate on SIMPAS Technology

Cindy Zimmerman

AMVAC® Chemical Corporation has completed the first phase of a testing relationship with Corteva® Agriscience using proprietary SIMPAS™ prescriptive application equipment, according to an announcement today by American Vanguard® Corporation.

The technology enabled Corteva to precisely deliver inputs in replicated research trials in anticipation of commercialization of Corteva-brand SIMPAS-applied Solutions™ (SaS). SIMPAS is designed to address targeted problem areas in fields with solutions that are applied to specific management zones rather than treating the entire field. The announcement follows Corteva’s successful trial work with pre-commercial SIMPAS equipment in 2020.

Alex Cochran, Corteva Agriscience’s Global Seed Applied Tech, Insect-Nematicide Management and Biologicals Leader, commented: “Our team is excited about the utility of the SIMPAS system, not only for our R&D field trial work within the Integrated Field Sciences team, but also as a potential delivery tool for Corteva solutions that boosts sustainability while adding value to the farmer’s bottom line.”

“The potential to make Corteva-brand SIMPAS-applied Solutions available to farmers is exciting, and it is consistent with our objective for SIMPAS users to have access to SIMPAS-applied Solutions from suppliers other than AMVAC,” said AMVAC President and CEO Eric Wintemute. “The opportunity to combine SIMPAS application technology with Corteva’s R&D capabilities will lead to sustainable new solutions that will make it easy for farmers to apply only what is prescribed, precisely where it is needed.”

SIMPAS will be available from Trimble dealers for corn planting in 2021. For more information, please visit www.SIMPAS.com.

AgWired Precision, AMVAC, Crop Protection, Equipment, Precision Agriculture

Agri-Pulse Virtual Food & Ag Policy Summit West

Cindy Zimmerman

Responding to changing consumer tastes is one of the greatest challenges facing farmers and food producers going forward. The upcoming Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Policy Summit West on September 9 will feature new insights into the next generation of consumers, as well as the latest ideas for dealing with food waste, implementing sustainability programs and producing alternative forms of plant-based and cell-based proteins.

The event is similar in nature to the Washington DC policy summit Agri-Pulse normally hosts in March, but this is the first time Agri-Pulse has done it in California since starting dedicated coverage there last year. “As we’ve covered California food and ag issues this past year, we’ve seen tremendous innovation in methods and technology that can help revolutionize food production and reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint,” says Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “We plan to showcase some of these success stories and also discuss the unique challenges ahead.”

The event will be hosted virtually from the California Farm Bureau Federation offices in Sacramento on September 9 from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time and broadcast live for all participants with a 30-minute lunch break from 12-12:30 pm. The event is free to current Agri-Pulse subscribers, state and federal legislative staff. The fee for non-subscribers is $149, which includes a free six-month subscription to Agri-Pulse, currently valued at $727 for a full year.

Wyant says agriculture and food stakeholders all over the country can benefit from the program. “Because some of these things that start in California tend to move all the way over to the East Coast and also to folks in the middle,” she said.

Learn more about the event in this interview.
Interview with Sara Wyant, AgriPulse

Find Summit West information and registration here at Agri-Pulse.com.

Also, the 2020 Ag & Food Policy Summit, which was delayed from its original date in March, will now be held virtually on September 21 with another great speaker line up. Find out more.

Agri-Pulse, Audio, Events, Virtual

Industry Ag News 8/28

Carrie Muehling

  • FLM Harvest announces it has selected the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) as the recipient of its 2020 Seed to Succeed pro-bono program. The agency will provide up to $75,000 in services to promote PBH’s signature 2020 “State of the Plate” fruit and vegetable consumption research.
  • The Georgia Cotton Commission, Georgia Peanut Commission and the University of Georgia Extension Cotton and Peanut Teams, will co-sponsor a virtual research field day on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. The virtual field day will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at noon. Re-certification credits for pesticide applicators and CCA will be available pending approval. The field day is a free event, but attendees are encouraged to preregister at http://bit.ly/cottonpeanutfieldday.
  • Syngenta Group Co., Ltd. announced the Group’s first half year results after its formation on June 18, 2020. The Group increased sales by 2 percent to more than $12 billion compared to the same period last year. This corresponds to growth of 5 percent on an underlying basis adjusted for one-off change of control royalty income in Seeds and the impact of mandatory ADAMA and Sinofert production site relocations in China. All four business units, Syngenta Crop Protection, ADAMA, Syngenta Seeds and Syngenta Group China, increased their underlying sales in comparison to the previous year. Syngenta Group managed the impacts of COVID-19 well in the first half of 2020, maintaining supply throughout despite the challenging market environment and the need for innovative solutions to overcome logistical difficulties.
  • UPL North America recently announced the addition of two marketing managers: Chris Nowlan and Tony Dalgliesh. In his new role, Chris will manage the marketing portfolio for Canada and will report to Arturo Clari-Redes, Head of Marketing. Tony will manage the Seed Treatment, Fungicides and Horticulture portfolios for Canada and will report to Chris Nowlan.
  • Whether your local, county or state fair was canceled or held in person, you can still submit pictures of you and your livestock to the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Farm to Virtual Fair contest. The contest focuses on the benefits of using corn in the feed ration. You can submit entries through Monday, November 2, 2020.
  • Johnny Alavez has joined NCGA’s Washington, D.C. office as Legislative Assistant. In this role, Alavez will provide support to the Risk Management Action Team and other public policy areas as needed.
  • Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the increased risk of exposure while traveling and gathering in a large group, DTN has decided to make the 2020 Ag Summit a virtual event on December 7-9, 2020.
  • The 2nd Annual Florida Industrial Hemp Conference & Exhibition (FIHCE) is postponed due to Covid-19. The new date is May 18-20, 2021, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
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