Trial Set to Resolve Farmobile Lawsuit Against Farmers Edge

Cindy Zimmerman

The Federal Court of Canada has set April 19, 2021 as the final trial date to resolve the patent dispute between Kansas-based agricultural data company Farmobile and Canadian company Farmers Edge Inc. Farmobile is seeking over $20 million (CAD) in damages and an injunction prohibiting Farmers Edge from using the infringing technologies.

In the lawsuit, Farmobile claims that Farmers Edge’s FarmCommand platform infringes Farmobile’s Canadian Patent No. 2,888,742, Farming Data Collection and Exchange System. Earlier this summer, Farmers Edge sought leave of court to file a motion for summary judgment, but the request was denied and the Court awarded Farmobile $5k CAD for costs associated with defending against the leave request (Order Citation 2020 FC 688). Farmers Edge later submitted a Notice of Motion indicating its intent to appeal the Court’s ruling on its summary judgment request, but no further action has been taken by it in this regard.

Farmobile specializes in interoperable data collection and standardization technology which enables farmers to collect, share and even monetize their farm data to improve efficiencies and increase farm revenues. To learn more about Farmobile visit www.farmobile.com.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, data, Precision Agriculture

USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added new commodities to the list covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th.

Additional commodities now eligible for the program include a variety of specialty crops like pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos; all types of sheep; aquaculture such as catfish, crawfish, salmon, and tilapia; nursery crops and flowers.

The original application deadline was August 28, but producers now have an additional two weeks to apply through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). In addition, producers with approved applications will now receive their final payments.

FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce discusses the announcements and what they mean for producers.
Interview with Richard Fordyce, USDA FSA

More information can be found at farmers.gov/cfap.

Audio, Farming, Food, USDA

Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

2020 Best of NAMA AwardsThe 2020 Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference started out right on time yesterday. The staff and volunteer leaders of NAMA have put in a lot of work and it shows as we see the program unfolding virtually.

The experience started out with a live stream of the Best of NAMA Awards. The winners list is available online here.

We have a virtual newsroom started for the conference on AgNewsWire. You can find photos/images and interviews. We’ll be adding more when we can.

Here’s an example of one of the interviews available with Susan Rhode, Farm Journal: Interview with Susan Rhode, Farm Journal

NAMA NavigatorThe awards were preceded by a “reception” sponsored by Farm Progress which included a mixologist who taught us how to make the official NAMA cocktail, the NAMA Navigator, along with one called the Captain. I opened the Florida Gator Bar to learn how to make these. Cindy took my picture and shared my drink. Cheers.

I encourage you to register if you haven’t and visit the virtual Connection Point trade show. ZimmComm has a booth and a special offer for distributing your news releases. If you can’t stop by just contact me about the special we’re offering.

Audio, NAMA

Precision Ag News 8/12

Carrie Muehling

  • AgBiome announced Dr. Marijn Dekkers as the company’s newest advisor. Dr. Dekkers is the founder and chairman of Novalis LifeSciences, an investment and advisory firm for the Life Science industry. He formerly served as the CEO of Bayer AG, and before that, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. He supports AgBiome as an industry advisor and board observer.
  • Pollinators substantially help many crops across the U.S. to grow, so for National Honey Bee Day on Saturday, August 15, the Bayer Bee Care Program is celebrating outstanding beekeepers and pollinator health advocates across the nation. Leading up to National Honey Bee Day, we checked in with Feed a Bee grantees from Alaska to Massachusetts to showcase what they’ve been up to and celebrate their leadership in fostering biodiversity. Click the video to learn more. Additionally, Bayer has issued a nationwide call for next-gen leaders in pollinator health (ages 12-18) to apply for the Blue Ribbon Beekeeper Award. The annual award honors young leaders who have made a positive impact through beekeeping or other pollinator-related work and activities. Applications are open now through August 21.
  • Register now for the Women Leaders in Water for Food: Improving Lives and Ag Productivity webinar, August 20 from 10-11 a.m. CST via Zoom. The free program is the first of two sessions in the Women Leaders in Water for Food: Empowering Youth Entrepreneurs series.
  • NRCS will award up to $360 million through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability. USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP through the RCPP portal. Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 4.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

ZimmCast 652 – Virtual 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, featuring weekly interviews with agribusiness industry leaders and all about what’s new, with a focus on agricultural marketing.

It is 2020 Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference week and this week’s program will feature some more of the sustaining partners of the National Agri-Marketing Association. You’ll hear from Scott McClure, Brighton Agency; Matt Herman, DTN/The Progress Farmer and Tom Brand, NAFB. They will talk about their organizations and why they support the work of NAMA. I’ll have a virtual newsroom available on AgNewsWire.com with all the interviews and more starting tomorrow morning.

Stop and see ZimmComm in the Connection Point in the virtual conference. We’d love to see you.

This week also includes some virtual work we’re doing for the Renewable Fuels Association for their annual educational/promotional sponsorship at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the Buffalo Chip Campground. Bikers will have Free Fuel Happy Hours once again. Keep an eye on AgWired and AgNewsWire for more from there.

So, that’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: 2020 Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Agencies, Audio, Media, NAFB, NAMA, ZimmCast

RFA Promoting Ethanol at 80th Sturgis Rally

Cindy Zimmerman

The 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is underway in South Dakota this week, and the Renewable Fuels Association has set up once again at the legendary Buffalo Chip Campground to spread the good news about ethanol and motorcycles.

“We know things will look a little different at Sturgis this year, thanks to COVID, but one thing that remains the same is the fact that ethanol is a great fuel choice,” said RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White. Despite COVID, the annual event is still expected to draw at least 250,000 bikers this year, about half its normal attendance.

RFA is sponsoring the 13th annual Legends Ride today starting in downtown Deadwood, with White participating and actor Tom Berenger as the ride captain. On display will be the custom E-85 bike featured on an episode of “American Chopper,” as well as the RFA flex-fuel Jeep Wrangler, designed and built by Kenny Hauk and featured on the Amazon Prime series Hauk Machines.

As a special benefit for bikers, RFA will again host Free Fuel Happy Hours at the rally, providing a free tank of 93 octane E10 (10% ethanol) for motorcycles, a ceremonial t-shirt and ethanol-based hand sanitizer. The free tank giveaway will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Aug. 11-13, at the CrossRoads area of the Buffalo Chip Campground. The fuel station that will feature the Free Fuel Happy Hours was donated by the RFA in 2017. RFA will also have a presence throughout the campground with banners, videos on the jumbotrons, and addressing the concert crowd each night.

This is the 12th rally for RFA’s White, who will be on hand during the Free Fuel Happy Hours to answer any questions as motorcycle riders fill up on the high-octane fuel. Several RFA members will also be in attendance to help educate riders about the numerous benefits of ethanol.

In this interview, White talks about why this promotion has been so successful for RFA, and what to expect this year.
Sturgis promotion interview with Robert White, RFA

RFA at 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photos

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

New Farm Podcaster Tool – PodTrac P4

Chuck Zimmerman

Podtrac - P4There really hasn’t been much in the way of exciting new gadgets for the podcaster lately. Of course there are always new microphones, especially ones that connect to a mobile device, but we’re talking about good portability/features/quality. This one looks promising. Click through to see the full specs.

THE ULTIMATE RECORDER FOR PODCASTING

Compact, affordable, and loaded with features, the PodTrak™ P4 makes it easy to capture professional quality audio wherever you’re recording your podcasts.

Now you can connect multiple microphones/headsets to this little device, connect to a call via your mobile device and record your podcast wherever you are. I can see this cutting down on editing time. But, let’s keep in mind that we will want to use this without a mask, closer than six feet and where your guests are. I guess we can cross that bridge when we have to.

Podcasts

Animal Ag News 8/10

Carrie Muehling

  • House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway of Texas sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging him to work with university policy research centers to analyze issues related to the cattle industry, especially in light of the recent and ongoing stress related to COVID-19. In the letter, Peterson and Conaway call on USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist to evaluate cattle market structure, price discovery, price reporting, purchasing mandates, and barriers to entry in the packing sector.
  • Vytelle (the recent combination of Vytelle IVF and GrowSafe) announces through its GrowSafe business the launch of the Beef Marketing Program to monitor individual animal performance, predict carcass weight and optimally market cattle in the feedlot.
  • In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, House Agriculture Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa of California and Ranking Member David Rouzer of North Carolina, joined by Full Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway of Texas, and 17 other Members, urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist U.S. lamb and sheep producers impacted by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The letter follows closure of the nation’s second-largest processor representing an estimated 20 percent of the nation’s processing capacity, and pushes USDA to help lamb and sheep farmers and ranchers find alternate processing and marketing options immediately.
  • In an episode of the Dairy Stream podcast, the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin – one of the nation’s premier dairy research centers – is highlighted for its integral role in keeping the dairy economy healthy and dairy customers happy. Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin sponsored this episode. Listen here.
  • Merck Animal Health announced the completion of its acquisition of IdentiGEN, a leader in DNA-based animal traceability solutions for Livestock and Aquaculture from MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
  • The team at Armor Animal Health announced they will be hosting a 2020 Virtual World Dairy Expo Event. Armor teamed up with their vendor partners to bring World Dairy Expo fans a week filled with their favorite things about the event. The company states that even though this virtual event will never compare to the world-class celebration everyone looks forward to in Madison, Wis. each year, they will strive to bring some excitement to the industry in a virtual setting.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 8/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Three people are finalists in the annual #RootedinAg Contest, hosted by Syngenta. The competition invites members of the ag community to share the inspiring stories of their mentors. Each 2020 finalist embodies a different aspect of the industry: Hannah Borg, a young farmer from Wayne, Nebraska, who pays tribute to the 86-year-old matriarch of her sixth-generation farming family; Stephon Fitzpatrick, a doctoral student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and community leader whose high school FFA adviser set in motion an incredible ag journey; and DeLeon Pope, an independent certified crop adviser in Clinton, North Carolina, who used the lessons his farmer father taught him to create a successful business built on respect, hard work and perseverance.
  • An important step forward to driving demand for corn was recently achieved, thanks to the work of state and national corn growers staff and members of the National Corn Growers Association Market Development Action Team. In the most recent Funding Opportunity Announcement, the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office clarified that corn grain is an acceptable feedstock. This means that starch derived sugars, specifically starches from field/feed corn, were clarified as acceptable.
  • Steven Schauer has joined the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, where he is helping shine a brighter light on the good work of the sister organizations’ members.
  • The Alabama Peanut Producers Association is looking to hire a Communications Coordinator. Please direct cover letters and resumes to Executive Director, Jacob Davis, at jdavis@alpeanuts.com.
  • Renewable Energy Group, Inc. announced that the company has hired Trisha Conley to serve as Vice President, People Development effective August 24, 2020.
  • The virtual National Agrimarketing Conference runs August 11-13 and registration is still open. All of the content from the event will be accessible on-demand also so you can watch it anytime. Register here https://web.nama.org/events/2020AMC-359/details.
  • GROWMARK, Inc. and Southern States Cooperative announced today plans to close on a transaction Sept. 1, 2020, that aligns the organizations operationally to yield increased innovation, growth, and returns for the farmer-owners of both cooperative systems.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking the USDA to extend the application deadline for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. AFBF, along with 27 other agriculture organizations, sent a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting the deadline be pushed beyond August 28, 2020.
Zimfo Bytes

Southeast Regional Ag News Launched for FL/GA/AL

Chuck Zimmerman

Ag Information NetworkAnother new farm radio network was just announced.
The Ag Information Radio Network just launched a Florida, Georgia, Alabama Radio Network –Southeast Regional Ag News. Here’s more information.

“With over 150 Affiliate Radio Stations in 14 states including the top Agricultural News network in California, our transition into Florida and the Southeast was a natural step” said Tom Allen co-owner of the Network. According to Allen, “The launch of Southeast Regional Ag News coinciding with the splashdown of SpaceX Dragon capsule was monumental because agriculture, like space exploration, is the next frontier. In this new era, ag-tech changes in virtual nanoseconds. (Think big data, micro-organic farms, precision ag, driverless tractors, drones, sustainability, aquaculture……) We are extremely proud of the fact that local radio still provides the BEST “uncensored” platform to tell agriculture’s compelling story. The team of Aginfo reporters bringing this news to the Southeast region are respected throughout the Ag Industry”.
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Media