NAMA Adds Virtual Option to Agri-Marketing Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is now offering the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference as both a live and virtual conference, August 11-13, 2020.

The virtual conference will be offered for $495 and $635 for members and non-members, respectively. The non-member rate includes one free year of NAMA membership.

Features of the virtual conference include a virtual trade show, virtual happy hours, special chat rooms and on-demand playback. There will be a number of opportunities for on-site and virtual attendees to network.

“We are confident that whether you are live with us in Kansas City or attending the virtual event, you will have a terrific NAMA experience,” said Jenny Pickett, CEO, National Agri-Marketing Association.

NAMA

Farmfest and Dakotafest Canceled for 2020

Cindy Zimmerman

Both the Minnesota Farmfest and Dakotafest have been canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IDEAg Group LLC., which is owned by American Farm Bureau Federation, made the decision to cancel with great disappointment according to AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We understand the impact this has on the ag community, but simply put, it is the right decision to make in these uncertain times.”

Farmfest, scheduled for Aug. 4-6 in Redwood County, Minnesota, has served farmers and the agriculture community for 38 years. Dakotafest, scheduled for Aug. 18-20 in Mitchell, South Dakota, was set to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

IDEAg management confirms that aspects of each show will be made available to attendees virtually this year, including the Farmfest Political Forums.

Read more from AFBF

AFBF, Farm Shows

Ag Retailers Urge Immediate Stay of Dicamba Order

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is urging EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to seek an immediate stay of federal court order and appeal the ruling “using all legal avenues available.”

President and CEO Daren Coppock says part of the problem is the order itself, but a bigger part is the timing to hand it down right in the middle of the application season.

“This decision by the Ninth Circuit is an overreach and must be corrected immediately,” Coppock said in a letter to Wheeler. “This will have a major impact on this year’s crops if not handled very soon. The farm economy has already experienced major struggles this year and this is one that can easily be avoided.”

Administrator Wheeler agreed in a statement that the decision creates an undue burden for farmers. “This ruling implicates millions of acres of crops, millions of dollars already spent by farmers, and the food and fiber Americans across the country rely on to feed their families,” said Wheeler. “EPA is assessing all avenues to mitigate the impact of the Court’s decision on farmers.”

Coppock says they were on the phone to EPA officials over the weekend discussing options and he hopes that means they will make a quick decision. In this interview, Coppock talks about how the decision impacts retailers and farmers, what they would like to see EPA do, and how different states are responding to the ruling.

Interview with ARA CEO Daren Coppock on dicamba ruling 8:42

ARA, Audio, Crop Protection, Herbicide

Animal Ag News 6/8

Carrie Muehling

  • The annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is going virtual this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The three-day online event is set for Aug. 3-5. Cost will be $99 before July 1, $129 after July 1 and $149 after the conference is over. Registration is open now as well as the opportunity to join the mailing list for continual updates.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral PASTURE (Pandemic Authority Suitable To Utilize Reserve Easements) Act of 2020 by U.S. Representatives Roger Marshall (R – 1st Dist., Kansas) and Angie Craig (D – 2nd Dist., MN). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Tina Smith (D-MN). For more information read NCBA’s letter to Congress on this issue here.
  • The Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative have hired Dale Beaty, an experienced farm organization leader, to be director of member relations. Nicole Barlass, who had been director of member relations, has been named director of corporate relations, a new position.
  • Leading academics across four continents have joined U.S., Canadian and international organizations representing millions of farmers, producers and veterinarians to sign an open letter pushing back against misinformation around animal agriculture during the pandemic. Signatories — including the Animal Agriculture Alliance, World Veterinary Association, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) — clarified that domestic livestock production is safe and has not played a role in the spread of COVID-19, despite recent unfounded claims. The letter calls for governments and authorities to reassure consumers around the safety of meat, milk, eggs and fish while also working with farmers and veterinarians to share lessons and expertise around animal health.
  • The American Feed Industry Association depends heavily on the dedication and involvement of members who volunteer annually to serve on committees. These committees further the success of the association’s mission, objectives and programs and AFIA thanks these volunteer members and the companies they represent for their service.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association, the nation’s largest trade association representing all segments of the dairy industry, and ABB, a global technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries, have partnered to offer IDFA members a suite of automated systems, applications and integrated solutions that will help them to advance digitalization within their plants and facilities.
  • Dairy Calf and Heifer Association members elected Clint Al-Ag, Blue Sky Farms, Friona, Texas; Emily De Benetti, Oxford Cattle Co., Woodstock, Ont., Canada; and Jorge Delgado, dairy specialist with the Alltech On-Farm Support team; to the organization’s board of directors. Al-Ag represents the Southwest; De Benetti represents the Northeast; and Delgado serves as an allied industry director. Tamilee Nennich Adolph retired as a DCHA board member.
  • State beef councils around the country are joining forces to invest state-controlled Beef Checkoff dollars in Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. digital advertising campaigns. These efforts will significantly expand beef promotion in their own states as well as in consumer-abundant U.S. regions. The councils are working with the staff at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a Beef Checkoff contractor, to provide reach to about 70 million consumers, creating more than 733,000 visits to the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. website through Google advertising, generating an estimated 56 million national and state video views on YouTube and producing more than 2.3 million radio listens through Spotify.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

ZimmCast 647 – AAEA Celebrating 100 Years

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this week’s program I’m sharing a conversation with Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor for Successful Farming magazine/Agriculture.com. We talk about the 100 year celebration of the AAEA, The Agricultural Communicators Network. We also talk about this year’s Ag Media Summit which has been moved to November.

Let’s all hope that we’re closer to “normal” by that time. If not, I hope to help create virtual content for AAEA to help with our milestone celebration.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 647 - 100 Years of AAEA

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, Media, ZimmCast

Industry Ag News 6/5

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the USDA Farm Service Agency has already approved more than $545 million in payments to producers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received over 86,000 applications for this important relief program.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue also announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program has distributed more than five million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Sugar Association, representing 142,000 sugar beet and cane growers, processors and refiners in the United States, filed a U. S. Food & Drug Administration Citizen Petition asking the Agency to require complete and accurate labeling of low- and no- calorie sweeteners on food packages, action that will extend labeling transparency, end misleading practices and help consumers make more informed decisions.
  • Brownfield Ag News is pleased to announce Will Robinson has joined the Brownfield team as Anchor/Reporter. He will be based in Missouri.
  • CHS Hedging announced its Russell Consulting Group subsidiary has been fully integrated into CHS Hedging, LLC and all services are renamed AgSurion℠ Risk Consulting. The new name aligns with the scheduled business transition agreement between Russell Consulting Group founder and principal Maurice (Moe) Russell, Panora, Iowa, and CHS Hedging, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
  • American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall issued the following statement: “Our hearts go out to the family of George Floyd and others who have suffered as a result of racial injustice. We strongly oppose racial discrimination and believe just treatment by law enforcement is essential to maintain public trust and to uphold our Constitution. We also believe we have a responsibility across our society to honestly examine, identify and address racism. That includes looking within our own organizations. At AFBF, we are doing just that. We are forming a cross-functional working group to determine how we, as staff of the American Farm Bureau, can be a positive influence against racism. Part of the strength of our communities and nation is our ability to pull together in times of crisis. We must do so now.”
  • A national TV segment highlighting cutting-edge checkoff investments from the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council earned a bronze award during the 2020 Telly Awards.
Zimfo Bytes

Dicamba Decision Leaves Farmers in Limbo

Cindy Zimmerman

This week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling that vacates current U.S. registrations of certain low-volatility dicamba products, such as Bayer’s XtendiMax and BASF’s Engenia, halting sales immediately. The court ruled EPA violated federal regulations when it extended approval of registration for the herbicide for another two years in October 2018.

Bayer and BASF have both issued statements saying they strongly disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps and direction from the EPA on actions it may take in response to the ruling. Bayer has paused its sale, distribution, and use of XtendiMax® and created a new website for farmers to get the latest updates on the issue.

The official statement from BASF says the ruling is “unprecedented” and has the potential to devastate “tens of thousands of farmers” who use the herbicide to control resistant weeds during the growing season.

“We will use all legal remedies available to challenge this Order and we remain committed to serving our customers with safe and effective crop protection solutions, including Engenia herbicide.”

The third product registration in the ruling was FeXapan by Corteva. However, Syngenta’s Tavium dicamba product was not included in the order. The ruling pertains only to the EPA’s 2018 registration decision, which expires in December 2020. Tavium was just approved last year and not part of that 2018 decision.

Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President and CEO Daren Coppock is urging EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to seek an immediate stay of federal court order and appeal the ruling “using all legal avenues available …” .

“The immediate nature of the decision and mandate has already created chaos in our industry,” Coppock said in a letter to Wheeler. “Growers are now without options at the worst possible time in their production year.”

Late Friday, EPA issued a statement from Administrator Wheeler on the decision:

“We are disappointed with the decision. The 2020 growing season is well underway and this creates undue burden for our first conservationists – farmers. EPA has been overwhelmed with letters and calls from farmers nationwide since the Court issued its opinion, and these testimonies cite the devastation of this decision on their crops and the threat to America’s food supply. The Court itself noted in this order that it will place a great hardship on America’s farmers. This ruling implicates millions of acres of crops, millions of dollars already spent by farmers, and the food and fiber Americans across the country rely on to feed their families.”

“EPA is assessing all avenues to mitigate the impact of the Court’s decision on farmers.”

AgWired Precision, ARA, BASF, Bayer, EPA, Herbicide, Precision Agriculture, Syngenta

2020 Ag Media Summit Postponed

Chuck Zimmerman

2020 Ag Media Summit PostponedThis was just announced by Tina Bowling, Ag Media Summit Conference Manager in a message to those of us speaking. I’m sure there are a lot of details to work on now and that includes making sure we’re available!

After careful consideration, the Ag Media Summit Steering Committee has decided to postpone AMS 2020 scheduled for July in Kansas City, MO. The new conference dates are November 14-18, 2020.

The November dates will follow the same agenda pattern and sessions will remain in the same time block just on the new corresponding date.

Just keep your eye out for more information and updates to the website. And BTW. That puts the conference right before the NAFB Annual Meeting, also in KC, MO.

Ag Media Summit, Media

2020 World Dairy Expo Cancelled

Cindy Zimmerman

For the first time in its 53-year history, World Dairy Expo® has been cancelled.

The World Dairy Expo Executive Committee reached this difficult decision based on the public health orders and restrictions related to COVID-19, in place and issued by Public Health Madison & Dane County. World Dairy Expo 2020 was set to take place at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, September 29 through October 3, 2020. The annual event welcomed more than 62,000 attendees from nearly 100 countries in 2019.

“Our collective heart is heavy as we share with you that World Dairy Expo 2020 has been cancelled,” said Scott Bentley, WDE General Manager. “We know how much this hurts; we feel it, too. Please know other options were explored and considered by the World Dairy Expo Executive Committee and staff.”

The Alliant Energy Center, home to World Dairy Expo, is a county-owned facility that falls under the jurisdiction of Emergency Order #3 and Forward Dane, the phased reopening plan for Dane County. Public health officials predict Dane County may be in the third phase of the plan when World Dairy Expo is set to occur. This phase includes a limit of 250 people at outdoor events, eliminating any possibility that World Dairy Expo, as people know it today, can take place.

Learn more about what the cancellation means at worlddairyexpo.com.

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Dairy, World Dairy Expo

THRIVE Innovation Series – USDA Innovation Imperative

Chuck Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny PerdueU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue joined SVG Ventures CEO John Hartnett today in a virtual (Zoom) fireside chat to discuss USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda and the current impact of coronavirus on American agriculture. The conversation is part of the THRIVE Innovation Series. This one focuses on USDA’s new Innovation Imperative and how it will shape the future of food and agriculture

In February 2020, at USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, Secretary Perdue launched the Agriculture Innovation Agenda which promotes innovation as a solution for farmers, consumers, and the environment. At the Forum, Secretary Perdue chatted with John Hartnett, about the future of agriculture, challenges facing the sector, and emerging solutions to address those challenges.

You can listen to the chat here: THRIVE Innovation Series Chat with Sec. Perdue (47:30)

Agribusiness, Audio, Technology, USDA