Industry Ag News 4/10

Carrie Muehling

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for an increasing number of Iowans, including the most basic need of food security. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation announced a $100,000 donation to the Iowa Food Bank Association to help feed the need for Iowans across the state who are impacted during this unprecedented time.
  • The 2020 California Antique Farm Equipment Show® has been cancelled due to COVID-19, but organizers will continue one of the most beloved show features: the tractor parade. To have your antique tractor, engine, farm truck, implement, or other ag related equipment featured in the virtual parade, please send the following information to marketing@farmshow.org.
  • In response to continued growth and diversification of its business, FLM Harvest, a strategic consulting, communications and marketing agency, has expanded its senior leadership structure. Overall agency operations, work product and strategic direction are now managed by two leadership teams.
  • Bushel, an independently owned software company and leading provider of software technology solutions for growers, grain buyers, protein producers and food companies, announced the launch of the Bushel Offer Management System, a full-service solution for creating and managing cash bids and offers, and performing hedge management.
  • The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives urged that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic support all producers of fruits and vegetables in efforts to offset economic impacts to the specialty crop sector. The call came in a letter that the organization sent to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
  • BASF announced VMLY&R as its new agency of record for the company’s Agricultural Solutions division. The agency will handle brand communications, marketing activity, public relations, trade events, and media planning and buying for BASF’s broad portfolio of crop protection, seed and seed treatment products for U.S. farmers.
  • The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer recorded its largest one-month drop in sentiment during March. The barometer dipped 47 points to a reading of 121, as concerns over the impact of the global pandemic on the agricultural economy weighed heavily on farmers’ minds. The Ag Economy Barometer is based on a midmonth survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers and was conducted March 16-20, 2020, as the coronavirus crisis escalated in the U.S. and around the world. Read the full Ag Economy Barometer report at https://purdue.ag/agbarometer.
  • Farm Foundation is pleased to announce that Martha King has joined the staff as Vice President of Programs and Projects. King has an extensive background in programs, information systems and publishing, and serves as corporate secretary on her family’s Illinois farm.
  • Following ongoing monitoring of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the NAFB Board of Directors has announced the cancellation of Washington Watch 2020, slated for April 27-29, in Washington, D.C. This decision was made in keeping the safety, health, and well-being of all our members as the association’s top priority.
  • Applications for the seventh annual Thrive #RootedinAg Contest are now open online at www.syngentathrive.com/contest. Syngenta will award three contest finalists with mini touch-screen tablets and one grand prizewinner with a $500 gift card, plus the opportunity to tell his or her story in Thrive magazine, complete with a professional photo shoot with the winner’s ag mentor. In addition, the company will make a $1,000 donation to the winner’s favorite local charity or civic organization.
  • John Deere, in collaboration with the UAW, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, announced it is producing protective face shields at John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Illinois. Deere employees will initially produce 25,000 face shields to meet the immediate needs of health-care workers in several of its U.S. manufacturing communities.
  • Farmers across the nation are encouraged to sign up for the Monarch Challenge, a program created by the BASF biodiversity initiative, Living Acres. The Monarch Challenge is a program which seeks to restore the monarch population by planting milkweed habitats in non-crop areas of farmers’ land across the United States. With monarch populations in dramatic decline, BASF is calling on all farmers to sign up for the Monarch Challenge by visiting www.milkweedplease.com. Upon registration, participants will receive a starter kit containing 200 milkweed plants to build a butterfly habitat of their own. The deadline to sign up is April 24, 2020.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced its first virtual series, the Digital Dialogue. The series will address critical issues in developing a resilient global food system. The first webinar will focus on the immediate challenges we face globally in the time of COVID-19.
Zimfo Bytes

Dairy Checkoff Helping Producers Weather COVID-19

Cindy Zimmerman

Leaders of the dairy checkoff are working to help U.S. dairy farmers during these challenging times.

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff on behalf of 35,000 farmers, has prioritized work focused on three key areas: schools, hunger and foodservice and industry partnerships. Leaders outlined a shift in its business plan in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue this week.

In the letter, DMI President Barb O’Brien said: “With unprecedented impact on virtually every aspect of the dairy sector – from farm inputs and production and workforce challenges to disruption in transportation, processing, warehousing and marketplace access, DMI and its network of 16 state & regional units, have quickly responded to the still deepening business and cultural shifts occurring as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.”

O’Brien joined DMI CEO Tom Gallagher and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) CEO and President Tom Vilsack, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, in a press conference Friday to discuss the efforts they are taking.

Dairy checkoff steps to address coronavirus (31:05)

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy

President Trump Says Help for Farmers Coming Soon

Cindy Zimmerman

During the daily White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump said help for hurting farmers is coming soon.

“We have money going out to our farmers in the pretty near future,” said President Trump. “The farmers got hurt very badly by all of this. People are eating less from the standpoint that there’s no restaurants that are open, no businesses are open, no hotels are open, they’ll start to come back, but we’re going to be helping out our farmers.”

President Trump on coronavirus aid for farmers (:25)

Closed restaurants and hotels, along with schools and other large operations that require food service, are the main reason that food prices are plummeting because they are no longer buying milk, meat, fruits, vegetables and other food.

According to the American Farm Bureau, futures prices for nearly all the major crops have dropped by double-digit percentages. Corn prices have fallen 15%. Soybean prices are down 10%, while the price for cotton, which is heavily dependent on foreign manufacturing capacity, sank nearly 30%. Buoyed by demand in the U.S. and China, wheat prices have declined only 3%.

On the livestock front, since the beginning of the year, both beef and pork futures prices have declined more than 30%. Milk futures prices have also fallen sharply, with the price for milk used to make cheese down 28% and the price for milk used to make nonfat dry milk falling by 34%.

AFBF, Audio, Farming, Food

43rd Annual First Lady’s Commemorative Egg Unveiled

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Egg Board has officially unveiled the 43rd Annual First Lady’s Commemorative Egg in a first-ever virtual gallery, showcasing decades of Commemorative Eggs presented at the White House on behalf of America’s egg farmers.

This inaugural digital gallery includes decades of previous First Lady’s Commemorative Eggs all of which are actual eggshells, and behind-the-scenes footage of the creation of the 2020 Commemorative Egg for First Lady Melania Trump.

“The First Lady’s Commemorative Egg from America’s egg farmers is a time-honored tradition dating back to 1977, and we are thrilled to keep the tradition going while we celebrate Easter at home this year,” said Anne L. Alonzo, President & CEO of the American Egg Board. “Egg lovers can explore the historical significance and artistic design of the First Lady’s Commemorative Eggs online and may even want to create your own First Lady’s Commemorative Egg and share it on social media using #IncredibleEgg!”

The 43rd Annual First Lady’s Commemorative Egg design reflects First Lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” initiative and pulls inspiration from the children of America’s egg farmers. The 2020 First Lady’s Commemorative Egg is painted in royal blue and accented with gold leaf, featuring a carved tree to honor the “Be Best” initiative. The tree signifies children planting the seeds of personal growth, and three hearts within the foliage represent the values of the “Be Best” campaign – kindness, community and positivity. All three words also appear in gold-leaf on the back of the egg.

Uncategorized

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode Two

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services, where we break down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Crop science experts and others in the agriculture industry will discuss topics ranging from nitrogen loss and soil health to ways growers can increase operational efficiencies.

Spring Weather Impact on Nitrogen

In this episode, listen to Tim Laatsch and Greg Schwab of Koch Agronomic Services as they discuss how spring weather impacts nitrogen and otherField Notes from Koch Agronomic Services input issues growers could face this spring. Some of those may include the timing for your spring application, compressed spring planting decisions and managing nitrogen after a cover crop. If the weather is like last year, you will definitely want to hear their thoughts on saturated soil as it pertains to nitrogen management.

You can listen to the program here: Spring Weather Impact on Nitrogen

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Agribusiness, Audio, cover crops, Farming, Fertilizer, Koch Agronomic Services, Nutrient Management, Podcasts, Soil

Precision Ag News 4/8

Carrie Muehling

  • Pat Holloway, a field agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids in Iowa, is big on planning, especially when it comes to planting corn. As he says, “you get one shot to get it right.” And while planting a crop is far more complicated than non-farmers know, COVID-19 has provided another layer of complexity in 2020. National Corn Growers Association is committed to keeping you informed, safe and healthy, so we’re passing along best practices as we move through the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.
  • LCS Trigger has the attention of Northern Plains wheat farmers after back-to-back National Wheat Yield Contest wins in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, the hard red spring wheat variety placed in both the High Yield and the Percent Increase Over County Average categories.
  • Forming the training arm of New Ag International, New AG International Academy’s vision is to advance the knowledge and competencies of professionals working in agriculture with conference workshops, digital academies and customized onsite training. To launch the new arm of the business, Informa Connect is offering a ‘Business Innovation and Market Strategy’ series.
  • Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. announced that Pacesetter™, a recently approved bio-based plant health product, is now available to corn, soybean and wheat growers in the United States.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Liberty Bibs on the Farm

Chuck Zimmerman

Liberty Bibs for WomenJust recently Liberty announced the reintroduction of its line of women’s bibs. Liberty provided a selection of bibs to Laura Handke’s sister, Toni Clary, for her to try in her work as a large animal vet technician. From her comments I think she likes them. Laura, who helps us out with on-site content creation, took the photos.

“I own a lot of overalls and my Libertys are the first pair I reach for. The large, zippered utility pocket and their soft cotton feel are the two features that convinced me to own a pair in every color!”

Liberty Bibs for Women

Some other comments include:

  • Comfortable enough for every job, all day, every day
  • Live life on the farm in a pair of overalls that work as hard as you do
  • So soft and comfortable you would think they were made for a stroll

The company discontinued the female-focused products 18 years ago. Their new line includes both denim and duck bib overalls with an all-new flexible fabric technology.

You can find out more about this classic new product line here.

Farming

AMVAC® Unveils Logos for Newly Acquired Herbicides

Cindy Zimmerman

The four herbicides recently acquired by AMVAC® have a new look.

The American Vanguard® company has designed new product logos and web pages for Classic® Herbicide, FirstRate® Herbicide, Hornet® Herbicide and Python® Herbicide.

Provides preemergence and postemergence control of key broadleaf weeds in soybeans.

Expands postemergence weed control spectrum in soybeans.

Delivers postemergence broadleaf weed control of glyphosate-resistant weeds in field corn.

Allows flexible broadleaf weed control in soybeans and field corn.

“These products have been a key component to growers’ operations for many years, and we are pleased to offer these trusted solutions now with a refreshed brand image,” said Nathaniel Quinn, marketing manager for corn, soybean and sugar beet.

AgWired Precision, AMVAC, Crop Protection, Herbicide

Animal Ag News 4/6

Carrie Muehling

  • More than 2,000 COVID-19 sampling kits will soon be on their way to hospitals across the state, thanks to Aggie innovation and ingenuity. Viral sampling kits — usually used on pigs, cows and chickens — are being repurposed to test humans by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station. The sampling kits are being assembled from lab supplies already in stock at TVMDL’s four labs across the state. Once assembled, they will be shipped to hospitals in cities with a Texas A&M System campus to help meet the surge in needed test kits including campuses in Galveston, McAllen and the Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth. The university presidents will determine where there is the greatest need for the kits in their community.
  • During the 2020 International Production & Processing Expo, six researchers presented their findings from recently completed research projects funded by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and its Foundation as part of the TECHTalk sessions offered during the expo.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation are accepting nominations for the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award through July 1. The goal of the award is to recognize outstanding completed research projects, funded by USPOULTRY or the USPOULTRY Foundation, which have made a significant positive impact on the poultry industry. The nominee may be recognized for multiple completed USPOULTRY research projects, all focused on the same subject area. To submit a nomination, please send a letter to Dr. Denise Heard (dheard@uspoultry.org), director of research, which includes the nominee’s name, a brief description of the nominee’s research accomplishments and the impact of the research.
  • As Americans are spending more time at home, parents may be looking for meal inspiration to keep the whole family happy. The Beef Checkoff is here with recipes that everyone in the family can enjoy and even make together. Check out BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for easy recipes that call for five ingredients or less and affordable meals under $15 as well as a full collection of cooking lessons and even virtual farm and ranch tours.
  • Groups representing dairy farmers and cooperatives in the Midwest urged the federal government to provide direct assistance to farmers and to expedite the purchase of additional dairy foods amid unprecedented disruptions in supply and demand due to the COVID-19 national emergency.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded a congressional letter that was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging swift relief for American cattle producers who have been adversely impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of over 145 lawmakers from both chambers of Congress.
  • A global pandemic is not the optimal time to start raising chickens, Marisa Erasmus, an assistant professor of animal sciences at Purdue University, cautions. As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the country and the globe, food security and sustainability is increasingly on people’s minds as government leaders issue stay-at-home orders and grocery stores are frequently low on staples. Recent popular press reports have said that anxiety around the food supply may be causing an uptick in the U.S. of people ordering chicks so they might have a reliable supply of eggs.
  • Ralco is pleased to announce and welcome the return of Dr. Jeff Hill to the company as a brand manager. In his new role, Dr. Hill will focus on managing product lines utilizing Ralco’s patented Microbial Catalyst® technology and its various applications in the marketplace as well as supporting Ralco’s expanding beef nutrition line.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Farmers are Suffering But #StillFarming

Cindy Zimmerman

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall on Friday provided some hard numbers for reporters about how COVID-19 is impacting commodity prices.

In the past month, dairy prices have dropped 26-36%, corn futures have dropped by 14%, soybean futures are down 8% and cotton futures have plummeted 31%. Hog futures are down by 31%. A surge in demand for beef emptied grocery store meat aisles, but there is no lack of supply. Despite a rise in retail prices in some areas, the prices paid to cattle ranchers have fallen 25%.

AFBF president Zippy Duvall on impacts COVID-19 on ag (3:23)

Farm Bureau brought together several farmers from different areas of the country to talk about how the crisis has impacted them personally.

Peter Bakken is a cattle producer from Minnesota
Comments from MN cattle farmer Peter Bakken (4:19)

James Alderman is a vegetable farmer in Palm Beach County, Florida
Comments from Florida vegetable grower Jim Alderman (4:50)

Alan Reed is a dairy farmer in Idaho
Comments from Idaho dairy farmer Alan Reed (4:05)

Complete call:
AFBF Impact of COVID-19 on agriculture (58:57)

AFBF, Audio