#ASTACSS Sustainability Panel Features Familiar Iowa Farmer

Cindy Zimmerman

Sustainability is real for Iowa farmer and former National Corn Growers Association president Pam Johnson, a sixth-generation farmer who works with her husband, their two sons and their young families to produce corn and soybeans.

“We can see with our own eyes how things have improved and that we’re able to do a better job year after year,” she says. “And to me that continued improvement is what sustainability is all about.”

Johnson was on the panel of a Corteva Agriscience seminar at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo this week entitled “Sustainability, Transparency and Collaboration – Action Beyond the Buzz Words,” along with Steven James of PepsiCo and ASTA chair John Latham, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. She currently serves as a director of MAIZALL, an international maize alliance of the corn grower associations.

In this interview, we discuss MAIZALL, sustainable practices on her farm, and working with other industries on sustainability. She also comments on a new presidential administration, the state of the ethanol industry, and cautious optimism for 2021.

ASTA Interview with Pam Johnson, Iowa farmer (17:12)

Find more content from ASTA CSS here:
2020 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Virtual Newsroom

ASTA, Audio, Corn, Sustainability

Precision Ag News 12/9

Carrie Muehling

  • Increased corn rootworm (CRW) pressure is projected to persist in corn crops throughout the Central and Northwest Midwest in 2021. But according to Wyffels Hybrids®, growers can take steps to predict the risk of significant rootworm feeding and protect their crops. The best way to predict rootworm risk the following year is to monitor corn rootworm beetle activity during the growing season, reports Wyffels’ Mitch Heisler, Product Marketing Manager, and Dr. Brent Tharp, Technical Product Manager. AMVAC® offers growers plenty of choices for corn rootworm protection to accommodate a variety of equipment and agronomic needs next year.
  • Late Friday, December 4, Kinze and Ag Leader were notified that John Deere filed a lawsuit alleging patent infringement related to True Speed/SureSpeed technology. Kinze and Ag Leader deny all allegations of infringement. This legal action has absolutely no effect on the availability of current Kinze and Ag Leader products.
  • House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota announced the introduction of H.R. 8843, which makes an additional 25 million acres available over the next five years for general signup under the Conservation Reserve Program. Instead of a cap, the bill establishes a minimum floor of 50 million CRP acres nationwide.
  • GROWMARK recently expanded its partnership with Solinftec to change the way they do business on a broad scale. Solinftec is a Brazilian company with 13 years’ experience developing digital ag solutions for the largest agricultural operations in the world on more than 22 million acres of row crops, sugarcane, coffee and citrus.
  • Advanced Biological Marketing® announces a new and novel seed treatment for the row crop industry, AmpliMax™. Based on a metabolite from its Trichoderma line of products, AmpliMax is a biorational seed treatment with SabrEx® metabolite, yeast extract and humates providing outstanding and consistent results in the field. The new product has gone through extensive testing over the years and will be available for use on a wide range of plants including, but not limited to, row crops and cereals.
  • Heliae® Agriculture announced the collaboration with WinField® United Canada, an agriculture leader focused on long-term sustainability. This partnership will bring new value to ag retailers through assisting farmers’ transition to regenerative agriculture practices.
  • Wilbur-Ellis Company LLC announced its acquisition of the assets of Probe Schedule, LLC to provide its customers with one of the most technologically innovative irrigation water management systems in the world.
  • BASF is introducing Renestra insecticide for the 2021 growing season. Consisting of both a pyrethroid and the unique Inscalis® insecticide active ingredients, Renestra insecticide provides knockdown and residual control of a broad-spectrum of soybean pests, including resistant and non-resistant aphids, as well as a variety of other feeding insects.
Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

ASTA Hires Senate Ag Veteran Janae Brady

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) this week announced Janae Brady as the organization’s new Senior Director of Government Affairs. Brady served on staff for Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry during his time as both Chairman and Ranking Member and she will now lead ASTA’s federal government affairs efforts on behalf of the association’s more than 700 diverse member companies.

Most recently as Senior Professional Staff, she advised Chairman Roberts on policy issues including international trade, agricultural research, biotechnology, crop protection and agricultural defense. Brady successfully led negotiations on the trade and research titles during Senate and Conference consideration of the 2018 Farm Bill. Additionally, she represented the Chairman during the consultation process for multiple international trade negotiations, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Prior to her time with Chairman Roberts, Brady worked on trade and food security policy issues at Gordley Associates, an agriculture policy government relations firm, where she represented organizations such as the American Soybean Association, as well as previously serving as a high school teacher. Brady grew up working on her family’s Kansas wheat and sorghum farm. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University as well as a master’s degree from the George Washington University.

Brady started with ASTA this week at the same time as the organization’s biggest event, the CSS & Seed Expo, which is being held virtually this year. Get to know her in this interview.
ASTA Interview with Janae Brady, Congressional Affairs (5:49)

Find more content from ASTA CSS here:
2020 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Virtual Newsroom

ASTA, Audio

Outlook for Beef in Trade Negotiations

Carrie Muehling

U.S. cattle producers are poised to recover from challenges during the global pandemic more quickly than their competitors, said Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Sr. Director of International Trade and Market Access.

“It’s important that we’re able to deliver the greatest profit margin possible to our producers, and any way that trade policy can help in that process and help us really tap into the 96 percent of consumers that live outside of our borders, then that is the direction that NCBA wants us to pursue, and that’s what we focus on day after day,” said Bacus, whose job is to expand market access for U.S. beef exports and bridge the gap between the government and cattle producers.

Bacus spoke about a number of trade negotiations underway for U.S. beef, in places like the United Kingdom, Japan and China. Emerging markets include the Southeast Asian region, particularly countries like Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Strong economic growth in those areas brings opportunities for U.S. cattle producers as people look to include higher quality protein into their diets.

2020 NAFB Interview with Kent Bacus, NCBA 11:50

Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, NAFB, NCBA, Trade

Rosy Outlook for Seed Industry From Dan Basse

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS and Seed Expo has seen a number of changes over the years, but Dan Basse of AgResource Company has given his annual agricultural outlook at the event since 2013, and he was there once again this year in the virtual world.

Basse is bullish on agriculture for the year ahead. “In my 40 years I’ve never seen a change as dramatic as we had in August and September in which we lost crops from a flash drought in the central U.S. and then we had this demonstrative Chinese demand that was pent up because of years of trade war,” he said. “We’re optimistic, we think the Chinese need to put on a happy face for the Biden administration.”

In this interview, Basse summarizes some of his main points in the agricultural outlook. If you missed his presentation on the ASTA CSS Main Stage, it will be available on demand for registrants – and yes, indeed, you can still register and get access to all the great content at this year’s virtual event.
ASTA Interview with Dan Basse, AgResource (11:45)

Find more content from ASTA CSS here:
2020 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Virtual Newsroom

Ag Economics, ASTA, Audio, Seed

Trying Out Some Kodiak Boots While Hunting and Working

Chuck Zimmerman

Kodiak BootsLooking for a good pair of work boots? How about Kodiak Boots? I was able to work with the company for a “trial” pair for my brother, Paul, who has a small farm and a restaurant in central Georgia. Like me, he hunts deer and we do that in some challenging terrain so good ankle support is a must have. I asked him to tell us about his experience with his Kodiak Men’s McKinney 6” Waterproof Boots.

Here’s his story:

I run a BBQ restaurant and live on a farm. That’s a life that requires long days of really, really tough work, requiring a really, really tough pair of boots. However, tough is not enough when it comes to a pair of boots to get the job done; they must be light, comfortable, AND tough.

Kodiak Boots at ZimSkilletI found my boots in a new pair of Kodiak lace-ups. I got these boots just before Halloween, 2020, just in time to be a part of my Paul Bunyan costume for Halloween festivities at the restaurant. I was in love with my Kodiak boots instantly; I wore them for several days straight out of the box. Instantly comfortable, lightweight, and plenty of support to be worn for 14 hours of being on my feet. I did not wear thick socks those first few days, and I developed blisters on the backs of my heels. I had to leave my new Kodiaks in the closet until the blisters healed, and since then, they have become my day-to-day go-to footwear. They are stylish (I switched to the red laces that came in the box) enough to be worn on date night with my wife, and look great while I smoke ribs and brisket while talking with customers.

My Kodiaks are now broken-in, conformed to my feet, and I love them more than ever. Yes, I hated the first time that I dripped pork grease on them out at the smoker, but they look great. More importantly, they FEEL great, and my feet don’t get tired while wearing them.

I would recommend these Kodiak boots to anyone who wants a lightweight, comfortable boot that appears to be tough and durable. This is my first pair of Kodiak boots, on a 1-10 scale, these are a 10. They won’t be my last!

Now I’m jealous and wish I had done the trial! But if you would like to find out more about the Kodiak brand and products you can do so here.

Boots, Hunting

Seed Industry Focused on Trade, Innovation and Regulations

Cindy Zimmerman

Trade challenges, regulatory issues, and innovation top the list of seed industry concerns in 2020.

Attendees at the virtual American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS and Seed Expo this week have the opportunity to participate in round table discussions on domestic policy and phytosanitary issues as well as innovation and trade.

ASTA Vice President of Scientific Affairs & Policy Fan-Li Chou joined the staff of the organization in June of this year, replacing the retiring Dr. Bernice Slutsky. Chou comes to ASTA direct from USDA where she served as Agricultural Biotechnology Advisor to the Secretary. In this interview, she discusses regulatory issues and innovation, and elaborates on USDA’s Secure Rule introduced in May.
ASTA Interview with Fan-Li Chou (10:21)

Abigail Struxness is ASTA’s Senior Director for International Programs and Policy and represents the organization on USDA’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC) in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds, and Planting Seeds. In this interview, she discusses trade challenges and opportunities for the seed industry in 2020 including, COVID impacts, USMCA, and China.
ASTA Interview with Abigail Struxness (7:33)

Find more content from ASTA CSS here:
2020 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Virtual Newsroom

ASTA, Audio, Seed, Trade

Syngenta Sets New Goals for Good Growth Plan

Carrie Muehling

After launching the original Good Growth Plan in 2013, Syngenta has met the initial goals and is looking further into the future of sustainability in agriculture.

The company has four new commitments they will focus on through the year 2025, including accelerating innovation for farmers and nature.

“It’s really around helping farmers deal with some of the extreme weather conditions that we’re seeing emerge globally,” said Liz Hunt with Syngenta’s Business Sustainability Team.

That includes investing $2 billion in sustainable agriculture breakthroughs and striving for the lowest residues in crops and the environment. The company also plans to work toward carbon neutral agriculture by measuring and enabling carbon capture and mitigation, enhancing biodiversity and soil health, and reducing the carbon intensity of operations by 50 percent by the year 2030. Keeping people safe and healthy is a third initiative, focusing on fair labor, training farm workers on safe use, and a goal of zero incidents in operations. Finally, Syngenta will partner for impact with others and publish sustainability objectives.

“From our perspective, we look at this as conducting production and business in a way that meets our current needs, but also provides for future generations to meet their needs, too,” said Hunt, who participated in the National Association of Farm Broadcasting virtual Trade Talk event.

2020 NAFB Interview with Liz Hunt, Syngenta sustainability 10:15

Audio, Sustainability, Syngenta

Animal Ag News 12/7

Carrie Muehling

  • On November 5-6, the virtual California Dairy Sustainability Summit welcomed 900+ registrants, with more than 600 tuning in live throughout the two-day online event. All session recordings from the virtual event can now be accessed here using the password, CDSSV20.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association‘s (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, issued the following statement in response to U.S. Representative GT Thompson’s (PA-15) nomination by the Republican Steering Committee to serve as the next Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee: “Cattle producers in Pennsylvania and across the country are well represented by Congressman Thompson. From his long-standing track record of bipartisan legislative victories to his work mentoring the next generation of agriculture leaders, GT does it all. He is an exemplary choice to guide the Committee for years to come and we are excited to work with him and his team in the next Congress.”
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States. A dynamic and integral part of the national economy, the U.S. poultry industry provides 2,139,617 jobs, $121.1 billion in wages, $576.6 billion in economic activity and $41.9 billion in government revenue. Since the last study conducted in 2018, the poultry industry has created 154,833 additional jobs, and the economic impact has increased by more than 15 percent.
  • The 2021 Latin American Poultry Summit will be held virtually Monday, Jan. 25, and Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. each day, with a Q&A session after each presentation. This year’s theme, “Examining Key Growth Parameters for the Future,” will be explored through an online platform, making it accessible for participants from all over North and South America.
  • Hamlet Protein, global leader in the production of soy based protein ingredients, announced a sales team expansion. Chelcee Hindman and Lamar Rider are joining the Findlay (Ohio) headquartered North America organization.
  • Bison business leaders hailed an announcement from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service that the agency had approved the National Bison Association’s request for a $17 million purchase of ground bison under the Section 32 Surplus Removal program.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

ASTA CSS and Seed Expo Offers Future Outlook

Cindy Zimmerman

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Chair John Latham with Latham Hi-Tech Seeds kicked off the virtual 2020 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo Monday with nearly 1000 attendees from around the world registered to participate.

“This virtual format has been great,” said Latham. “I think we really hit it out of the park this week.”

Latham talks about how the industry faced the challenges of 2020 and what priorities are for 2021 in this interview.
ASTA Interview with Chair John Latham (6:58)

ASTA hit the ground running Monday morning with the “Majors Crystal Ball” featuring a panel of speakers from the industry’s largest companies, each presenting their company’s perspective on what lies ahead for the seed industry after a year of upheaval for the entire world. The panelists included Linda Trolinder of BASF, Michael Graham with Bayer, Neal Gutterson with Corteva Agriscience, Trevor Hohls of Syngenta.

After this year, predicting the future is less accurate than ever before, but the major seed company players took a stab at it. As Linda Trolinder with BASF said, “The most clever way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”

Here are a couple of the Majors’ comments from the session
ASTA CSS Majors' Crystal Ball sound bites (7:21)

Register here to see the whole session.

Find more content from ASTA CSS here:
2020 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Virtual Newsroom

ASTA, Audio, Seed