Hula Sets Corn Yield Record of Over 616 Bushels

Cindy Zimmerman

David Hula of Charles City, Virginia has once again broken his own record in the National Corn Growers Association 2019 National Corn Yield Contest and set the bar pretty high for the future.

Hula produced the highest yield on record at 616.1953 bushels per acre, beating his previous record of 542-plus bushels in 2017, which broke his 2015 record of 532 bushels per acre. Hula set his record this year in the Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated category.

The 27 winners in 9 production categories had verified yields averaging more than 383 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 167 bushels per acre in 2019. While there is no overall contest winner, yields from first, second and third place farmers overall production categories topped out at 616.1953 bushels per acre.

Despite adverse growing conditions that impacted most farmers, improved seed varieties, advanced production techniques and innovative growing practices, allowed corn growers to achieve many impressive yields across all categories again this year. Heath Cutrell of Chesapeake, VA came in first for the Conventional Non-Irrigated category this year with over 381 bushels per acre, beating out his 2018 win in the same category of almost 361. See a list of all the winners.

The National Corn Yield Contest is now in its 55th year. The winners will be honored during Commodity Classic 2020 in San Antonio, Texas.

AgWired Precision, Corn, NCGA

Research Looks at Farmers of the Future

Carrie Muehling

Research presented at the 2019 American Seed Trade Association CSS & Seed Expo answered questions about who the farmers of the future will be and what they will need from the agriculture industry.

“The goal is to help the industry have some focus on what’s coming, think about their own plans, how they can disrupt themselves to become more competitive, and ultimately continue to strengthen the industry over time,” said Brett Sciotto, CEO of Aimpoint Research.

Sciotto said this initial research focused on American farmers in response to the realization that clients were not focused far enough into the future and weren’t preparing enough for the future dynamics that would ultimately impact their business. Future research will be more global, looking at the psychology of farmers in other countries.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Brett here:ASTACSS19 Interview with Brett Sciotto - Aimpoint Research (7:07)

2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, ASTA, Audio, Research

Animal Ag Bites 12/16

Carrie Muehling

  • World Dairy Expo® is accepting nominations for the 2020 Expo Recognition Awards now through February 1, 2020. New this year, WDE will be combining the former Dairyman and Dairy Woman of the Year Awards into one category, Dairy Producer(s) of the Year. Organizations, academic staff, producers and others involved in the dairy industry are encouraged to nominate individuals to recognize their outstanding work and dedication to the dairy industry.
  • The past year has been one of the most challenging years in recent memory for corn farmers across the Midwest due to excessive rainfall, which has resulted in delayed and/or prevented planting in many areas. Extreme weather conditions and moisture levels can reduce yields and induce plant stress, and they can also lead to future issues for the crop, including molds and mycotoxins. Increased moisture can allow Fusarium molds to flourish, producing a variety of mycotoxins that include deoxynivalenol (DON), fusaric acid, T-2, HT-2 and zearalenone. Alltech will host a United States Corn Silage Report webinar with Dr. Max Hawkins on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. EST. Register for the webinar via this link. For more information on mycotoxin management, visit knowmycotoxins.com.

    • To help support California food bank’s efforts to meet demand for protein during a difficult fire season, Cargill donated nearly 50,000 pounds of beef to local families in California.

  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall issued a statement regarding the announcement that the U.S. and China have agreed to a phase one trade deal.
  • Ralco has launched its revitalized swine nursery nutrition program, Tactical Start™, built on driving early feed intake, providing ultra-complex, easily digestible diets, and focusing on digestive capacity. This approach concentrates on setting pigs up for success by achieving more uniform, consistent pigs resulting in improved performance throughout production.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Hemp Farmers Need Good Seed

Cindy Zimmerman

The hemp industry is in dire need of good genetics and a weeding out of bad actors in the seed supply business, according to two hemp farmers who helped Arcadia Biosciences announce the launch of GoodHemp in Chicago last week.

Chris Adams (pictured left) of Adams Family Farm in North Dakota and Weston Walker (right) of Gold Dust Farm in Oregon shared their experiences growing hemp and the need for good genetics and reliable seed suppliers during a panel discussion. Both are excited about the future as pioneers in the “wild west” of this new agricultural commodity.

Walker is new to hemp farming and just planted his first crop this year, while Adams has been growing hemp for five years on his fourth generation family farm. You can listen to interviews with each of them and watch several of the questions/answers during their presentation at the launch event.

GoodHemp interview with North Dakota hemp farmer Chris Adams

GoodHemp interview with Oregon hemp farmer Weston Walker

Arcadia Biosciences GoodHemp Launch photos


ASTA, Audio, Cannabis, hemp, Seed, Video

BASF and Arable Partner to Provide Field Analytics

Cindy Zimmerman

Arable Labs and xarvio™ Digital Farming Solutions are partnering to provide weather and plant insights to farmers across Europe

The resulting integration of Arable’s unique dataset with xarvio FIELD MANAGER allows for optimized crop production decisions. BASF’s digital platform is built on decades of experience in crop production and protection, with Arable’s hyper-local crop and weather data it enables more precise in-field decisions.

Arable developed an innovative method that accurately measures precipitation using sound. Arable’s Mark device delivers unique value by employing an acoustic disdrometer, eliminating the complex maintenance requirements of the traditional tipping bucket. The multi-spectral sensing capabilities of the Mark bring real-time insight into how plants are responding to observed field conditions. Housed in a durable casing reinforced with nanotechnology protection, Arable supports the latest generation of wireless internet connection, LTE-M. Fit-for-the-farm tech combines weather measurements, plant health parameters and over 40 additional in-field measurements to create a first-of-its-kind solution integrated into xarvio FIELD MANAGER.

The Arable Mark is now available online and will be integrated into xarvio FIELD MANAGER for the 2020 growing season. Geographic rollout is based on LTE-M availability with the initial countries being France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland and Ukraine.

Arable Labs promoted the news at the ASTA CSS and Seed Expo last week in Chicago and we sat down with VP of Strategic Partnerships Jess Bollinger to find out more about the partnership.

ASTACSS19 Interview with Jess Bollinger, Arable (3:36)

2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo photos

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Precision Agriculture

ASTA Ends Year on High Note

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is ending 2019 on a positive note with another successful CSS and Seed Expo in Chicago and a lot of optimism going forward.

“There’s a lot of innovation in our industry today,” says ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne. “So we see a lot of companies coming into the market, a lot on discovery, a lot on genetics, a lot on breeding, so it’s pretty exciting right now.”

ASTACSS19 Interview with ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne (9:10)

Some of the highlights from the event included the annual ag economic update from Dan Basse, a well attended session on hemp, and the third annual student video contest award.

Another highlight was the follow up- panel to last year’s Majors After the Mergers, this one called “Thriving Amongst the Giants” and featuring perspective from a few of the industry’s most successful regional seed companies.

Among those participating on the panel was ASTA’s 1st Vice Chair John Latham, who talks about the challenges of 2019, weather and trade issues, and priorities for 2020 in this interview:

ASTACSS19 Interview with ASTA 1st Vice Chair John Latham, Latham Seeds (8:23)

You can find more interviews, session audio and lots of photos in the ASTACSS Virtual Newsroom on AgNewsWire.

2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo photos

Agribusiness, ASTA, Audio, Seed

Zimfo Bytes 12/13

Carrie Muehling

  • American Agri-Women presented Dr. Kevin Folta the Veritas award at their recent convention in Tigard, Oregon. Dr. Folta is a professor of horticulture at the University of Florida, where he has a distinguished career in strawberry genetics.
  • Farmers Business Network announced a series of investments designed to further its commitment to the expansion of rural economies at its fifth annual Farmer2Farmer Conference.
  • Farms.com announced it has acquired a network of agricultural news websites from USAgNet LLC, which covers 15 Midwest and Northeast U.S. states. The ‘State’ Ag Connection sites provide local farmers with daily news, markets, weather, auction listings and an online farm equipment marketplace in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.
  • After serving as president of National Farmers Union for over a decade, Roger Johnson announced that he does not intend to seek reelection again next year. His current term will end at the organization’s annual convention in March, at which point an election for his successor will be held.
  • Fifteen years after he became a state director in his home state of Minnesota, Nobles County farmer Bill Gordon was elevated to president of the American Soybean Association during the organization’s December board meeting.
  • Women around the state who work in agriculture came together Dec. 5 for the first Florida Agri-Women farm tour as an initiative to educate on the issues and visit farming operations.
  • CoBank released its 2020 year ahead report “Forces That Will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy” saying that the U.S. rural economy will continue to face headwinds and is expected to under perform relative to the economy of urban America but there is room for optimism.
  • Noah Wicks will join the Agri-Pulse editorial team in the summer of 2020 as the company’s summer intern.
Zimfo Bytes

Arcadia Biosciences Launches GoodHemp

Cindy Zimmerman

During the American Seed Trade Association CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago this week, Arcadia Biosciences announced the launch of a new product line – GoodHemp. As the company’s new brand for delivering genetically superior hemp seeds, transplants, flower and extracts, GoodHemp’s first commercial product is a disease resistant and ultra-low THC hemp seed.

Accepting advance orders now, the first variety in GoodHemp’s catalog – Complia Bot+ – is a widely adapted cannabis strain that delivers high CBD content (more than 10 percent) with ultra-low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis. It is part of the Complia hemp seed line Arcadia is bringing to market through GoodHemp, with four additional proprietary varieties in early adopter farmer trials with sales expected in the 2020 season.

This innovation comes just months after the USDA’s Interim Final Ruling for hemp cultivation, which mandates that states test hemp crops and dispose of “hot” crops that exceed 0.3 percent THC. While hemp farmers will have access to crop protection options, the destruction of hot crops that fail these stringent inspections will not be a covered loss under crop insurance programs. In 2019 alone, approximately 20 percent of U.S. hemp crops were non-compliant, representing $2 billion in losses for growers.

Arcadia Biosciences CEO Matt Plavan talks about the new brand in this interview:
GoodHemp interview with Arcadia Biosciences CEO Matt Plavan

ASTA, Audio, Cannabis, hemp, Seed

Farm Groups Partner to Help Farmers Manage Stress

Cindy Zimmerman


Todd Van Hoose, Farm Credit Council; Dale Moore, AFBF; Mark Skidmore, Michigan State Extension; Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union

Recognizing the high levels of stress affecting America’s farmers and ranchers, agricultural organizations have partnered on a program to train individuals who interact with farmers and ranchers to recognize signs of stress and offer help.

Farm Credit, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union announced the program yesterday in Washington D.C. with the support of several members of Congress.

Based on the farm stress program Michigan State University Extension developed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, this combination of online and in-person trainings is designed specifically for individuals who interact with farmers and ranchers. It provides participants the skills to understand the sources of stress, learn the warning signs of stress and suicide, identify effective communication strategies, reduce stigma related to mental health concerns and connect farmers and ranchers with appropriate mental health and other resources.

National Farmers Union compiled financial, legal and mental health resources at its online Farm Crisis Center. The organization’s partnership with Farm Bureau and Farm Credit will build on that project by further increasing farmers’ access to the information and services they need to get through financial and personal emergencies. Resources may also be accessed on MSU Extension’s “Managing Farm Stress” website.

The trainings, which will begin in the coming weeks, are funded by a grant from Farm Credit.

Listen to the announcement on the program made Wednesday by:
Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council
Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union
Dale Moore, Executive Vice President, American Farm Bureau Federation
Mark Skidmore, Michigan State University Extension
Farm Groups Partner for Mental Health

AFBF, Ag Groups, Farm Credit

Lots of Interest in ASTACSS Hemp Session

Cindy Zimmerman

The Hemp Seed Opportunities & Challenges session at the American Seed Trade Association’s 2019 CSS and Seed Expo was packed at the end of the day on Wednesday, showing the high level of interest the seed industry has in this new and growing commodity.

Participating in the session were Pat Miller, ASTA’s Director of State Government Affairs; Wendy Mosher with New West Genetics, ASTA’s Hemp Seed Working Group chair; and Garry Meier and Jeff Kostuik of Hemp Genetics International.

After Miller gave a legal and regulatory update, Mosher provided a fascinating overview of hemp production, wrapping up with a perspective on hemp seed genetics and sourcing.

ASTACSS19 Hemp session - Pat Miller, ASTA (14:46)

ASTACSS19 Wendy Mosher, New West Genetics (51:11)

ASTACSS19 Hemp Genetics International (23:20)

2019 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo photos

ASTA, Audio, Cannabis, hemp, Seed