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

Animal Ag News 11/23

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council launched the “Give-a-Ham” challenge, a national social media campaign encouraging hog farmers and those involved in the industry to donate pork to organizations serving the food insecure, and challenging others to follow suit. The “Give-a-Ham” challenge runs through the end of the year.
  • The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association will present a webinar on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. CST, titled “Genetic Focus: Creating the Most Valuable Calves Across the Dairy Herd.” Register here.
  • A third round of feeding trials conducted by a team of USDA Agricultural Research Service and university scientists has again shown that a dietary supplement called L-glutamine can naturally promote growth and wellness in pigs.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Director of Natural Resources and the Public Lands Council Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover released a statement supporting U.S. Forest Service’s final rule to update the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act regulations.
  • World Dairy Expo® launches its new podcast, The Dairy Show. Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and online at worlddairyexpo.com, new episodes of The Dairy Show are added on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Expo’s podcast features a new guest during every episode discussing topics related to the dairy industry.
  • David Newman, a pork producer representing Arkansas, was elected to serve a second term as president of the National Pork Board at the organization’s November board meeting. The National Pork Board’s 15 producer directors represent America’s 60,000 pig farmers, who pay into the Pork Checkoff – a program that funds research, promotion and education efforts benefiting the industry.
  • The Dairy Business Association has announced the program lineup and keynote speakers for Dairy Strong, one of the Midwest’s premiere conferences for the dairy community, on Jan. 19-21. The featured speakers for the virtual conference will be Peter Sheahan, Matt Lewis, Ray Starling and Michael Torrey. Registration for the conference is open and farmers who register by Dec. 15 will receive two free passes per farm. Click here to register.
  • With the National Western Stock Show in Denver postponed for a year, the National Bison Association has teamed up with the Dakota Territory Buffalo Association to plan its annual live bison show and sale, along with its winter membership meeting for February 18-20, 2021 in Rapid City, SD.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is excited to announce that IPPE Marketplace will take place Jan. 25-29, 2021. IPPE will continue to support the poultry, egg, meat and feed industries through its new, online IPPE Marketplace that will be available during IPPE’s originally scheduled dates, Jan. 25-29, 2021, and beyond.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites, Animal Health

Seed Industry Met Challenges of 2020

Cindy Zimmerman

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) President and CEO Andy LaVigne says the seed industry was able to adapt quickly to meet the challenges of 2020 and they are moving forward with new tools to reach out in new ways.

“While we had a lot of adversity there, a lot of opportunity raised its head and I think we’ve seen some really positive changes,” said LaVigne in an interview for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB). He says going virtual has helped many seed companies reach customers in a whole new way.

ASTA has already successfully held two of its four annual meetings virtually, and two more are just around the corner – the CSS & Seed Expo December 7-9, and the Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference February 1-3.

LaVigne talks about the upcoming virtual meetings, as well as challenges and opportunities for the seed industry in this interview.
2020 NAFB Interview with Andy LaVigne, ASTA CEO (7:04)

ASTA, Audio, NAFB, Seed

LidoChem Challenges Scott’s Miracle Gro Trademark

Cindy Zimmerman

LidoChem, Inc. is fighting to protect its “Performance” trademarks in a case against Scott’s Miracle-Gro.

LidoChem and its Performance Nutrition Division filed a claim to void Scott’s Miracle-Gro trademark registrations at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “Miracle-Gro Performance Organics” and “Performance Organics.”

LidoChem, Inc. owns 10 ‘Performance’-containing trademarks for products and programs in the professional agriculture and turf and ornamental markets. Seven of these trademarks are incontestable since they are more than five years old. The longest held trademark of Performance Nutrition® dates back to March of 2004.

LidoChem, Inc. President and CEO Don Pucillo said, “Although we attempted to settle this dispute amicably, including issuing a cease and desist letter to Scott’s, they claimed to conduct business in different business channels of commerce therefore do not cause confusion in the marketplace. Unfortunately, their widespread marketing campaign is infringing upon our brand names and image within our targeted industry sectors and sales territories clearly causing confusion among customers and distributors.”

The company founder points out that “the names, styles and overlapping markets in Scott’s new product marketing initiative are remarkably similar and have already caused confusion among customers and distributors alike. We intend to vigorously defend our family of ‘Performance’ trademarks and our good name of producing quality products and programs that are effective for our customers’ needs as well as being safe and ecologically friendly.”

Karen Tripp is the attorney representing LidoChem in the trademark case and she explains in this interview why they are taking this action and what is at stake for the 40 year old family-owned business.
Interview with Karen Tripp, LidoChem trademark attorney 5:17

Agribusiness, Audio, Fertilizer, Organic