Precision Ag Bytes 2/12

Carrie Muehling

  • The Soil Health Partnership is pleased to introduce Dr. Carrie Roever as the new Data Manager.
  • New Holland announced the launch of the TH7.42 Elite large-frame telehandler, manufactured for agricultural operations and marking the first in a new series of telehandlers from the global equipment leader.
  • The National Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with the NACD Auxiliary, announced the winners of the 2019 Photo Contest and 2019 Poster Contest during the 74th NACD Annual Meeting Inspirational Session.
  • Building on nearly 100 years of power and legacy and with millions of Farmall series tractors sold, Case IH is adding three new models to its Farmall family of tractors: Farmall utility 95A, 105A and 115A.
  • For today’s corn and soybean customers who require planter-applied fertilizer, a split-row configuration and narrow transport, John Deere introduces the new 1745 MaxEmerge™ 5 Planter.
  • John Deere has also introduced ExactRate™, a factory-installed option that precisely monitors and controls the application of liquid fertilizer during planting.
  • John Deere has also expanded its lineup of air-seeding equipment to include its new C650 Air Cart to help small grains producers and custom farmers seed more acres per day in less time. The C650 Air Cart can be ordered in either tow-behind or tow-between configurations.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Ethanol Industry Ready to Focus Forward

Chuck Zimmerman

Still riding the high of hearing from former President George W. Bush, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper addressed attendees of the 25th annual National Ethanol Conference in Houston today with his annual State of the Industry remarks.

“2019 marked just the third time in the last three decades where output fell from the preceding year,” Cooper said. “Previous decreases in annual output—in 1996 and 2012—were both tied to historic droughts, short crops, and record high corn prices. The drop in ethanol output this time was caused by a disaster of an entirely different sort: policy uncertainty, bureaucratic meddling, and aggravating marketplace barriers.”

In the face of demand-destroying regulatory barriers and political uncertainty, Cooper highlighted how the ethanol industry continued to serve as a vital source of good-paying jobs and economic activity in hard-hit rural communities in 2019, citing key statistics from RFA’s annual study on the economic contributions of the ethanol industry. Released on Monday, the study measures the industry’s sizable economic footprint.

Cooper also touted the removal of regulatory barriers that had banned the sale of E15 during summer months and the marketplace’s enthusiastic response as a win attributable to the industry’s tenacity and ability to “focus forward.” He went on to point out that 2020 is already off to a good start with US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruling in favor of RFA in a decision that could ensure the EPA is finally held accountable for their abusive practices in issuing small refinery waivers.

Read Cooper’s remarks here, listen to them below.
RFANEC RFA CEO Geoff Cooper remarks 32:00

You can watch the video of Geoff’s remarks from our Facebook Live video here:


2020 National Ethanol Conference photo album

Ag Groups, Audio, Biofuels, Energy, Ethanol

43rd President Visits National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association was honored to welcome George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, to the 25th Annual National Ethanol Conference today in Houston.

By championing an all-of-the-above approach to domestic energy production while in office, President Bush put the United States on a course toward greater energy security and made an indelible mark on agriculture and the renewable fuels industry.

RFA Senior Strategic Advisor Bob Dinneen was thrilled to be able to hear from the former president who signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, creating the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In December 2007, he signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which extended and greatly expanded the RFS. Between these two signature events, in April 2006, President Bush spoke to RFA members in Washington, D.C., where he addressed the importance of energy independence and security.

We have no photos or audio from the president’s appearance as no media were permitted to attend, but Dinneen shared his impressions and reflections in this interview.

RFA Senior Strategic Advisor Bob Dinneen reflects on 25th NEC and 15th RFS anniversary
RFANEC Interview with Bob Dinneen, RFA Senior Strategic Advisor 11:46

2020 National Ethanol Conference photo album

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Animal Ag Bites 2/10

Carrie Muehling

  • Registration is now open with early bird savings available for the 2020 Chicken Marketing Summit. This annual executive conference, hosted by WATT Global Media, is scheduled for July 19-21, 2020 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Fernandina Beach, Florida.
  • Noble Research Institute, LLC and GrowSafe Systems Ltd. have entered into a new research agreement that aims to improve efficiency in cattle production and aid ranchers in making management decisions.
  • Elanco Animal Health Inc. announced a four-year collaborative research agreement with Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation with a goal to collaborate and train talent as they seek solutions to some of the greatest challenges in animal health.
  • Three new video resources were added to the Pork Information Gateway (PIG) to aid producers who focus on raising pigs using alternative methods of production. Two videos focus on biosecurity and one on sourcing feed.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

    Cattle Industry Welcomes EPA Adminstrator Wheeler

    Cindy Zimmerman

    EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler got a warm welcome when he addressed the Board of Directors meeting for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Friday and was able to proudly list repeal of the 2015 “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in the accomplishments his agency has made for farmers and ranchers.

    “If you didn’t spontaneously applaud at that one I was going to reinstate it,” Wheeler joked to the applause. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall tweeted, “Would you have ever imagined an EPA Administrator getting a standing ovation from a room full of cattle producers? Happened at our board meeting as @EPAAWheeler talked about wins such as the repeal and replacement of WOTUS.”

    Wheeler says the new Navigable Waters Protection Rule “strikes the proper balance between Washington and the states in managing land and water resources while protecting our nation’s navigable waters” and his hope is that now farmers and ranchers can “refocus on their livelihoods instead of meeting with consultants and lawyers.”

    Listen to Wheeler’s remarks and press gaggle from the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show.
    CIC2020 Remarks from Andrew Wheeler, EPA 20:06

    CIC2020 Press with Andrew Wheeler, EPA 5:42

    Multi-media content from the convention can be found here:
    2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Virtual Newsroom

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, EPA, NCBA

    The Countdown Begins: 100 Days to ONE

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE) returns to Lexington, Kentucky May 17–19 for its 36th year. ONE draws on Alltech’s global reach and business scope to assemble thought-leaders from the agriculture, business, health and wellness, and brewing and distilling sectors.

    “Science, technology and human ingenuity converge at ONE,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “The topics up for discussion reflect the extraordinary opportunity our industry has to adopt new ideas for producing enough safe, nutritious food for all while preserving our planet.”

    Alltech’s flagship conference is attended annually by more than 3,000 people representing 70 countries. Keynote speaker announcements are coming soon, and this year’s mainstage line-up promises to be as dynamic as ever. With universal themes of innovation, inclusion and inspiration, ONE invites everyday heroes from various industries to unleash the power of infinite ideas.

    At the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio this week, Alltech has been showcasing its Planet of Plenty initiative and encouraging attendees to write their sustainability ideas on leaves that will then be displayed at ONE.

    Dr. Lyons talks about ONE, sustainability, China, and more in this interview.
    CIC2020 Interview with Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech 10:53

    AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Livestock, Meat

    Florida Ranch Wins Environmental Stewardship Award

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Blackbeard’s Ranch in Myakka, FL was named the national winner of the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award Program this week at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, in San Antonio, TX.

    “My family has been in Florida for six generations,” said Blackbeard’s managing partner Jim Strickland. “We’ve always been in the cattle business, and we’ve always taken pride in caring for the land to ensure we’re protecting the land, air and water resources that have been entrusted to us”

    Today Blackbeard’s Ranch, with origins in the Hutches Ranch in the 1930s, is one of the last large intact working cow-calf operations in this part of southwest Florida. The cowherd includes approximately 600 head of Beefmaster, Brangus and Charolais cattle, who pasture just east of the sandy beaches and high rises on the Gulf of Mexico.

    CIC2020 ESAP Award winner Jim Strickland, Blackbeard Ranch, FL 4:32

    Multi-media content from the convention, including interviews and photos with regional ESAP winners, can be found here:
    2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Virtual Newsroom

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Environment, Livestock, NCBA

    Zimfo Bytes 2/7

    Carrie Muehling

    • Throughout February, FFA chapters can apply for the 2020-21 Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program. Sponsored by Mycogen Seeds, this fundraising opportunity with the National FFA Organization is in its fourth year and has raised more than $93,000 for local FFA chapters, state FFA associations and the National FFA Organization. FFA chapters can apply for the program by visiting Mycogen.com/FFA and submitting the online form by March 2, 2020.
    • Del Norte County native, Rose Tryon is a passionate advocate for agriculture and has officially stepped into her new role as president of the California Women for Agriculture.
    • The Agricultural Relations Council is in year four of the ARC/Gardner & Gardner Communications internship program. The 2020 intern host will be Charleston|Orwig in Hartland, Wisconsin. Students interested in applying for the ARC Internship should fill out the 2020 ARC Intern Candidate Application and submit it to sandraorourke@gandgcomm.com by February 21, 2020.
    • The American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with INTL FCStone to offer Farm Bureau members exclusive discounts on FCStone’s catalog of agricultural risk management tools, which range from customized commodity marketing plans to data management solutions and educational seminars and cover an extensive range of agricultural commodities, from grains and oilseeds to dairy and livestock.
    • The Soil Health Partnership is pleased to introduce Dr. Carrie Roever as the new Data Manager.
    • The National Corn Growers Association’s Annual Report for the 2019 fiscal year is now available online. The report highlights memorable events and victories accomplished in a year characterized by weather and policy challenges.
    • Wayne Stoskopf has joined NCGA’s Washington, D.C. office as Director for Public Policy for Risk Management and Tax. Stoskopf will also serve as lead staff for the Risk Management and Transportation Team.
    • The American Soybean Association is pleased to announce Kyle Kunkler will join ASA’s policy team Feb. 20 as director of government affairs, with a focus on the biotech and crop protection portfolio.
    • The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance are establishing an Agriculture-Climate Partnershipto unlock the climate-solving potential in farmlands.
    • Two central Florida agriculture industry leaders will be inducted into the 2020 Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame next week. Both men are champions of UF/IFAS Extension and research. John Jackson served Florida agriculture for more than five decades with 38 of those years as a leader in UF/IFAS Extension. Robbie Roberson played a pivotal role in the creation of the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, including leading efforts to secure funding for the consolidation of research centers throughout the region into one state-of-the-art facility.
    • Ambassador Kip Tom, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, will speak at the annual dinner of USDA’s 96th Agricultural Outlook Forum, USDA’s largest annual meeting, slated for Feb. 21-22, 2019 in Arlington, Va.
    Zimfo Bytes

    NCBA Announces 2020 Beef Quality Assurance Award Winners

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Winners of the 2020 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards were announced this week during the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The awards recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers and marketers who demonstrate high-quality animal care and handling principles and express a strong desire to improve their operations through BQA.

    2020 BQA Cow-Calf Award – IX Ranch in Big Sandy, Montana
    2020 BQA FARM Dairy Award – Boadwine Farms, Baltic, South Dakota
    2020 BQA Feedyard Award – Bledsoe Cattle Company of Wray, Colorado
    2020 Marketer BQA Award – Western Video Market (WVM)
    2020 BQA Educator Award – Curt Pate

    Also announced at the convention this week, five event locations on the Stockmanship & Stewardship Regional Tour, with the next stop in Ontario, Ore. Dates for that session and sessions in Bowling Green, Ky., Durango, Colo., Danville, Ind., and Elko, Nev. have not yet been determined.

    In other BQA news from #CattleCon20, the program has updated its online training modules to make them more realistic and useful. The new modules are now available to those who are first becoming BQA certified online and those who are getting re-certified as required after three years.

    The Beef Quality Assurance program continues to grow significantly, with more than 100,000 cattle producers now certified through its online learning system. The online option was introduced by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in early 2017. Since the BQA program was initiated in the early 1990s hundreds of thousands have become BQA-certified through in-person and online training, with an estimated 85 percent of the U.S. fed beef supply now touched by BQA-certified operations.

    NCBA Director of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Chase DeCoite provides an update on the program in this interview.
    CIC2020 Interview with Chase DeCoite, Beef Quality Assurance 8:09

    Multi-media content from the convention can be found here:
    2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Virtual Newsroom

    Audio, Beef, Beef Checkoff, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

    USDA Announces Hemp Crop Insurance Details

    Cindy Zimmerman

    USDA has announced the availability of two programs that protect hemp producers’ crops from natural disasters.

    A pilot hemp insurance program through Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or Cannabidiol (CBD) oil and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage protects against losses associated with lower yields, destroyed crops or prevented planting where no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. Producers may apply now, and the deadline to sign up for both programs is March 16, 2020.

    “We are pleased to offer these coverages to hemp producers. Hemp offers new economic opportunities for our farmers, and they are anxious for a way to protect their product in the event of a natural disaster,” said Farm Production and Conservation Undersecretary Bill Northey.

    Get the details from USDA.

    Learn more about the challenges and opportunities of industrial hemp farming in the Midwest in our series of feature interviews from the recent “Heart of America – Agricultural Hemp Classic.”

    Cannabis, hemp, USDA