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

AMVAC Conducts On-Farm Testing of SIMPAS System

Cindy Zimmerman

AMVAC, an American Vanguard Company, has just completed on-farm testing in five states for its new SIMPAS™ prescriptive application system.

Farmers and retailers tested the systems in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Arkansas. Participating retailers include: Asmus Farm Supply, Harvest Land Co-op, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and Simplot Grower Solutions.

Set to launch commercially through select Trimble dealers in 2021, SIMPAS (Smart Integrated Multi-Product Prescription Application System) enables farmers to precisely and variably apply up to three, in-furrow crop inputs while planting. Based on prescriptions developed by agronomists, SIMPAS precisely delivers the exact rate of each SIMPAS-applied product solution (nematicide, fungicide, micronutrient, insecticide, inoculant, or biological) in each appropriate management zone, using a patented metering system to apply only the right product, at the right time, at the right place, at the right rate.

One of the farmers who tested the system was Jason Orr of Rowley, Iowa. He talks about his experience in this interview.

Interview with Iowa farmer Jason Orr, SIMPAS on-farm testing (10:57)

AgWired Precision, AMVAC, Audio, Precision Agriculture

Precision Ag News 6/3

Carrie Muehling

  • Miravis® Prime fungicide – developed by Syngenta to deliver powerful, broad-spectrum disease control in grapes and other specialty and vegetable crops – is now registered for use in California.
  • Following school closures and summer breaks, students from three technical colleges will eventually return to classes and continue working with new hands-on learning tools: Case IH tractors. Case IH donated tractors to three technical schools: Parkland Community College in Champaign, Illinois; North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota; and Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, South Dakota. Each received one donated tractor.
  • The best defense against corn rootworm is vigilance. That’s the message Bayer is sharing while launching the second year of The Watch, a program meant to educate farmers and encourage them to evaluate their corn rootworm pressure and management practices. Corn rootworm represents one of the top groups of insects threatening corn yields across the U.S. Corn Belt, and Bayer wants farmers to take note and track the pest in 2020.
  • Illinois Nutrient Research & Education Council (NREC) researchers Yuji Aria, Lowell Gentry and their graduate students recently received word that their work on accumulation of Phosphorus in Tile Lines will be published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal. This work comes from the NREC project “Understanding Mechanisms and Processes of Dissolved Reactive Phosphate Loss in Illinois Tile-Drained Fields” investigated by Yuji Arai, Mark David, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo, and Lowell Gentry.
  • The Soil Health Institute cordially invites soil science graduate students, research scientists and others to participate in a virtual Video Poster Session during SHI’s 5th Annual Meeting, July 30-31, 2020. Visit the Video Poster Session webpage for a full listing of submission guidelines and presentation requirements.
  • Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC and AgPlanIt announced a new strategic supply agreement to serve American farmers. The Meristem Crop Performance product line will now become a key component of AgPlanIt’s offering of crop inputs and grower solutions.
  • Every summer, the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) organizes on-farm field days to give farmers the chance to see how organic farming work and to get ideas they can use on their own farms. With concerns about COVID this year, these organic field days will take place online. Each virtual event will include background information (podcasts, videos, and more) posted in advance and a 90-minute live meeting with the farm hosts and other experts hosted on Zoom. Participants will need to register to join the Zoom meetings. See details and register at mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Heliae Brings Regenerative Ag and Soil Health to Canada

Cindy Zimmerman

Heliae® Agriculture is pleased to announce the addition of Ron Taylor as Canadian General Manager to lead their regenerative agriculture initiatives expansion in Canada.

Taylor joins Heliae® Agriculture efforts with over 30 years of experience focused on the science and development of products to improve plant health. He brings a broad experience in Canadian crop production with his background spanning the seed industry, crop protection, as well as the biostimulant segment.

With roots in crop production in South West Ontario, Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge from his past experiences at Acadian Seaplants, Syngenta Canada Inc., Engage Agro Corp., BASF Canada Inc., and Monsanto Canada Inc. Taylor has actively supported organizations such as the Canadian Seed Trade Association, Plant Technology Agency, Corn Pest Coalition, and the Agri-Marketing Association. He holds a BA in Physical Geography/Geomorphology from the University of Windsor and professional development trainings from Harvard Businss School, INSEAD Business School, CropLife Canada, and Syngenta.

Taylor says he is looking forward to introducing PhycoTerra® to Canadian agriculture. “Crop production is dependent on the health of soils and the PhycoTerra® product line is proven to help rejuvenate the life of multiple soil types, with higher levels and diversity of microbial activity, resulting in healthier plants and improved production.”

For more information on PhycoTerra® and how it is driving regenerative agriculture forward, visit PhycoTerra.com.

Link to press release.

Soil

Ethanol Ready to Fuel Summer Adventures

Cindy Zimmerman

As America gets moving again, ethanol is ready to fuel summer adventures.

Ethanol production is slowly climbing back up after hitting historic lows due to coronavirus restrictions keeping people from traveling. Now that people are getting back on the road and in the water, Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Industry Affairs Robert White talks about some of their summertime promotions that help educate the public about ethanol.

Ethanol Report 5-29-20 (14:17)

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Agricultural Solutions LLC Announces New Ownership

Cindy Zimmerman

Agricultural Solutions LLC has ended its financial partnership with Intergro, Inc., but Intergro will remain a distributor for crustacean meal products. The newly independent leadership team responsible for the creation of the crustacean meal product line is excited to now take the brand in a new direction.

Agricultural Solutions’ Managing Partner Don Long pioneered the conventional and organic production of grape tomatoes in the US and was introduced to the use of crustacean meal in 2004. He soon began using it in both conventional and organic production and after leaving commercial production, Long founded Agricultural Solutions to introduce crustacean meal and its benefits to the agricultural community. Other members of the leadership team include Dan Chellemi, Ph.D., who serves as Research & Development Director, and Everett Hendrixon, Chief Operating Officer.

“We are excited about the new direction, it gives us the opportunity to be more flexible and focus additional efforts in commodity crops and other agricultural sectors where CrabLife™ and PreBiotech™ products can be used as a preferred food source for beneficial microbes,” said Don Long. “Growers love our products because they are effective, economical and designed to be combined with current crop protection applications, so they are easy to implement.”

Agricultural Solutions’ patent-pending microbial-based formulations include:
CrabLife™: A line of natural fertilizers (CrabLife, CrabLife Powder and CrabLife Plus) scientifically proven to stimulate the soil microbiome, particularly microbes associated with plant growth promotion and the biological control of plant pathogens and parasitic nematodes.

PreBiotech™: Micronized crustacean meal designed for foliar applications to provide a preferred food source for beneficial microbes on plant surfaces including foliage, flowers, and fruit.

To learn more, visit agricultural.solutions.

View full press release.

Biologicals, Organic, Precision Agriculture, specialty crops

Animal Ag News 6/1

Carrie Muehling

  • Zoetis and American Horse Publications announced Barbra Schulte as the recipient of the 2020 Equine Industry Vision Award. The annual award, established and sponsored by Zoetis, recognizes the innovation and commitment made by an individual or organization to positively influence the equine industry. Zoetis presented the award to Schulte by video since the 2020 AHP Equine Media Conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In celebration of National Dairy Month, Dairy Management Inc. and state and regional checkoff teams around the country are showcasing dairy’s resilience and community impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. The efforts begin on June 1 – World Milk Day – with a “Raising Gallons” video that DMI created in partnership with state and regional checkoff organizations.
  • Organizers are excited to announce the upcoming launch of PigX, a monthly podcast developed to share information from the national Improving Pig Survivability project with pork producers and other PigX swine extension podcast graphicdecision makers in the swine industry. The first session airs June 1. You can find and subscribe now to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher. PigX podcast updates also will be available on the project website.
  • Flies cost U.S. cattle and dairy producers $1 billion or more in lost income every year. Learn how to fight back against flies during our next Dairy Calf and Heifer Association webinar on June 4.
  • Cargill announces the addition of Brett Mackay as a Dairy Focus Consultant for the Western region. In his new role, Mackay will focus on serving and developing our dairy business in the Granger, Washington market.
  • Like much of the world right now, the global animal health and nutrition industry is unable to meet in person at livestock events or industry conferences. In response to this challenge, Phibro Animal Health Corporation has launched Phibro Academy, a new digital learning and content platform, to allow customers and partners to continue to learn and exchange ideas, no matter where they are.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Podcasting Report from Stitcher

Chuck Zimmerman

The Stitcher Podcast ReportOne of the platforms we use for all our podcasts is Stitcher. Hopefully, you’re familiar with it and have given it a try.

Stitcher just published The Stitcher Podcast Report.

Stitcher, the leading company dedicated to listening to, producing and monetizing podcasts, today released the “Stitcher Podcasting Report,” a first-of-its-kind look at the evolution and growth of podcasting over the past 10 years, including what Stitcher’s COVID-19 listener data could mean for the industry’s future growth.

The “Stitcher Podcasting Report” represents the industry’s only analysis of in-app data, network content and listener demographics from Stitcher – the top network for share of podcast listening in the U.S., as measured by Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer Tracker. The report examines the factors that have driven the industry’s growth and the trends shaping it today:

Here are some those factors and trends:

The growth of podcasts is not slowing down
Some states carry more listening weight
Streaming remains popular
The rise of the mini-series
Episodes are trending shorter
Gen X is dedicated
Bouncing back amid COVID-19

Take a look at the report and it might give you some good ideas for how podcasting can fit with your marketing plan. I really like the idea of mini-series. We’ve done those in the past with the interviews we created at events like Commodity Classic. I could see more of these to come as we look at more and more digital ways to communicate.

Podcasts

Industry Ag News 5/29

Carrie Muehling

  • Discovery Park of America has announced new partners and more details for “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival,” a permanent exhibit dedicated to telling the story of innovation in agriculture. The exhibit will open Dec. 5, 2020 in the Simmons Bank Ag Center. New partners include The Dairy Alliance; East Tennessee Nursery and Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry; H&R Agri-Power and Case IH; Roundstone Native Seed; “Silo”; Star Pastures Apiary; Tennessee Beef Promotion Board; and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
  • The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, the World Bank, the International Water Management Institute and the Global Water Partnership will host a series of interactive webinars on accelerating inclusive farmer-led irrigation development. Session I – Accelerating inclusive FLI and reaching scale: Key things to consider – is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2020, from 8-9 a.m. CST. Session II – Accelerating inclusive FLI sustainably: A systems approach to reaching scale – will take place Thursday, July 9, 2020.
  • Fifteen agriculture students have been selected as the fourth class of recipients of the GROWMARK Foundation scholarship. More than 260 students from across the United States and Ontario, Canada, applied for the award. Applications were evaluated by a panel of agribusiness professionals, and the funds are available for the fall 2020 semester.
  • Thirty-five students are taking part in the GROWMARK/FS System’s Exploring Agriculture Internship Program for the spring and summer. Ten interns started in April and twenty-five summer interns start in May. The students are spending 10 weeks working at FS member cooperatives in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, New Jersey and Ontario, Canada.
  • Farmers National Company, the nation’s leading agricultural landowner services company, has announced that Matt Gunderson, Omaha, Neb., has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing.
  • Swanson Russell welcomes five new team members in the Omaha and Lincoln offices of the agency. New hires are project manager Ben Fleming, email marketing coordinator Juliane Glasco, senior account manager Candace Jindra, media coordinator/buyer Holly Kohel and digital strategist Megan Moore.
Zimfo Bytes