Precision Ag Bytes 12/4

Carrie Muehling

  • The J.R. Simplot Company and Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings, LLC have announced Simplot’s agreement to acquire all of the interests in Pinnacle Agriculture Enterprises, LLC and its subsidiaries. The target acquisition close date is in early 2020.
  • The project partners Clariant and GETEC have won the highly prestigious Energy Efficiency Award from the German Energy Agency in the category “Concepts for increasing energy efficiency.”
  • The Federal Communications Commission took another step to implement the Precision Ag Connectivity Act (PACA) with the announcement of the Precision Ag Task Force members. The Task Force will meet over the next year to identify gaps in in-field wireless coverage and develop policy recommendations to fill them.
  • A Purdue University-affiliated agbioscience startup is creating technology to help meet the growing global demand for bioenergy and, in partnership with Purdue, has received new support from the U.S. government. GRYFN offers precise geomatics solutions for coaligned and repeatable multi-sensor drone data collection.
  • The Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS), announced that Nicholas J. Goeser has been named Chief Executive Officer.
  • Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. announced that company founder Dr. Pamela Marrone will retire from her position as chief executive officer. The board of directors has begun the search process for a new CEO. Dr. Marrone will continue as CEO during the search process, and she and Board Chairman Bob Woods will shepherd the transition process until the new CEO is retained.
  • CommoditAg launched a new and improved online experience to help meet the 21st-century demands of today’s farming community. The updated website features simplified navigation as well as a warehouse locator so customers can choose where to purchase products including adjuvants, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. Customers who buy during pre-pay season will receive 2 percent off their orders now through Jan. 15, 2020.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Bayer Sees Advantage with Bioenhancers

Carrie Muehling

While many farmers are glad to see 2019 in the rear view mirror, Bayer wants growers to be prepared for another challenging growing season in 2020 in case tough conditions return. Using the correct seed treatment is one way to ensure the large investment farmers make on seed is protected.

“Well, the big buzz around seed treatment – and it’s really gained momentum over the past couple of years – is biologicals, or what we refer to as bioenhancers. We’ve had a pretty large bioenhancer portfolio particularly in soybeans for the past couple of years. A lot of farmers will refer to them as inoculants,” said A. J. Hohmann, U.S. Marketing Manager for Bayer Seed Growth Business. “These are products that can really help to jump start the nodulation process in soybeans, but biologicals are also becoming more of a play in other crops, specifically corn.”

Hohmann said Bayer recently launched its BioRise™ Corn Bio-enhancer offering, which can result in increased functional root mass and the ability to grab onto more nutrients and more moisture. Yield data suggests a three bushel advantage when using the product, which has been especially successful during times of drought. Hohmann was at the 2019 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with A.J. here: NAFB19 AJ Hohmann, Bayer (3:45)

2019 NAFB Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, NAFB

ZimmCast 631 – Hemp in the Heartland

Chuck Zimmerman

In this week’s program you can hear Cindy talk with Wayne Gale, Stokes Seeds and Chairman of the American Seed Trade Association, about the upcoming ASTA CSS & Seed Expo. I then talk with Bill Cook, Executive Director of the Missouri Hemp Association about their inaugural Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic (registration started on Black Friday).

Wayne talks about hemp because it is a topic many members of ASTA have been asking about. Cindy and I will be attending the annual ASTA CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago this month.

Then I will be attending the Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic in January. 

There is a lot of information being published suggesting that growing hemp will provide new revenue streams for farmers but at the same time I’ve seen stories saying we have a glut of hemp on the market and farmers need to be very careful of their decisions. So what is right? I don’t know yet. This new crop, which is an old crop, has a lot of potential and the rules, regulations and infrastructure to support it is in the start up phase.

Learn some more about it in this week’s program and feel free to contact me if you have questions. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 631 - Hemp in the Heartland
Subscribe to the ZimmCast by clicking here.

Ag Groups, ASTA, Audio, Farming, hemp, ZimmCast

BASF Provides Choices to Soybean Growers

Carrie Muehling

With the 2020 growing season on the horizon, BASF is excited about an expanded soybean portfolio that now includes the Credenz seed brand, several soybean seed treatments, and Liberty herbicide.

“One key thing that we’re really focusing on is offering soybean growers more choices to manage their production system in that local environment,” said Nick Fassler, manager of BASF’s technical marketing group.

Fassler said the company still has a robust pipeline for crop protection products, and the addition of seed germplasm and seed traits to the portfolio really expands that scope. BASF has also created a dedicated seed sales team in the marketplace, working hand in hand with business representatives that are calling on retail and innovation specialists at the farm gate to help growers maximize soybean yield. Fassler was at the 2019 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to the interview with Nick here: NAFB19 Nick Fassler, BASF (3:52)

2019 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, NAFB, Soybean

Animal Ag Bites 12/2

Carrie Muehling

  • Online cheese sales are experiencing major growth. By the end of 2019, IRI data shows that e-commerce sales will surge past $440 million. The 54% annual growth in online sales over the past four years signals that shoppers are embracing the convenience and variety available when ordering cheese online. Find tips on how to serve Wisconsin Cheese, including seasonal recipes, cheeseboard inspiration, cheese and wine pairing guides and more on WisconsinCheese.com.
  • Leading regional dairy council Dairy MAX recently launched its two redesigned websites, DairyMAX.org and DairyDiscoveryZone.com, to invigorate target audiences’ knowledge of dairy and support dairy sales.
  • A new educational program hosted by the American Feed Industry Association will focus on biosecurity as it pertains to foreign animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, African swine fever and avian influenza. The program, “Biosecurity in the Face of Foreign Animal Disease – What the Feed Industry Needs to Know,” will take place on Jan. 29, 2020, in conjunction with the 2020 International Production & Processing Expo, taking place Jan. 28-30 in Atlanta, Ga.
  • Securing zero-tariff access to China for U.S. pork would be an economic boon for American agriculture and the country, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). Based on an analysis by Iowa State University Economist Dermot Hayes, NPPC says unrestricted access to the Chinese chilled and frozen market would reduce the overall trade deficit with China by nearly six percent and generate 184,000 new U.S. jobs in the next decade. NPPC launched a digital campaign to spotlight the importance of opening the Chinese market to U.S. pork as trade negotiations continue. For more information, click here.
  • R-CALF USA hosted its 20th Anniversary Convention in Deadwood, SD on August 15-16, 2019. The convention proclaimed success boasting approximately 400 attendees; the organization’s largest convention in its 20-year history. An additional 800 guests viewed the convention through online streaming.
  • Up to five regional Stockmanship & Stewardship events will be coordinated throughout the United States by the producer education team at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in 2020, thanks to sponsorship from Merck Animal Health. Additional funding and support for the program is provided by the Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

GrainBridge Introduces STRATUM Platform

Carrie Muehling

A small Omaha-based tech company aims to change the future of farming with a new grain marketing platform called STRATUM, which will connect farmers and grain buyers and provide analytics and decisions for farmers to sell their grain at the best price.

“The technology itself will be very easy to use and very seamless,” said Faith Larson, chief strategy officer of GrainBridge. “We want to eliminate any manual entry for the farmer because we know that timing is crucial and so we will have connectivity with data that the farmer is using on the farm.”

Larson described a “one stop shop” where farmers can access any grain buyers, elevators or agribusiness accounts. They can view cash bids for elevators they have connected with, as well as contracts, location information, scale tickets and wait times. They can connect with other agribusiness accounts to further understand input costs, productivity, yield expectations and look at break even or profitability targets.

The first version will be released early in 2020 and farmers can sign up for an account free of charge. More information is available at grainbridge.com.

Listen to the interview with Faith here: Interview with Faith Larson, GrainBridge

2019 NAFB Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, NAFB, Precision Agriculture

Woodall Shares Priorities for NCBA

Carrie Muehling

This year’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City brought an opportunity to talk with Colin Woodall since his appointment as CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Woodall recognized challenges that continue to grow within the industry and the need to protect members and their investment into NCBA.

“The message to the producers is, just hang on. We’re doing a lot right now on the trade front that we think will have some positive impacts on cattle markets,” said Woodall. “That includes the Japanese trade agreement that we expect to go into place on the first on January. That’s also the U.S country specific quota into the EU. We also expect to have the USMCA ratified. And as long as we can provide some certainty in international markets, I think that will also provide a lot of certainty in the domestic market, too.”

Woodall said in addition to trade, the association will focus on ensuring there is honesty in marketing when it comes to products like fake meat. NCBA is working with the Federal Trade Commission to challenge incorrect marketing claims about the environmental impact of the cattle industry on natural resources. The association is also working on legislation to restrict the ability of companies to use the term “beef” for these types of products.

Listen to the interview with Colin here: NAFB19 Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen's Beef Association (4:18)

2019 NAFB Convention Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, NAFB, NCBA

Zimfo Bytes 11/27

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Council for Agricultural Education has named Dr. James Woodard the Director of Agricultural Education, FFA Board Chair and National FFA Advisor. The national board of directors also named Cheryl Zimmerman executive secretary for National FFA.
  • World Ag Expo® and E.M. Tharp, Inc. have teamed up for the 13th annual “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, created to support agricultural education. High school seniors from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties in California are encouraged to apply by January 17, 2020 to be considered. A $10,000 scholarship will be awarded to two students who attend a four-year university to major in an agricultural field. The scholarships will be disbursed over four years at $2,500 per year. Download the application online at: www.worldagexpo.org/scholarships.
  • Farmers Business Network announced that Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, will address the company’s fifth annual Farmer2Farmer Conference, at 8:30 AM on December 12, 2019, in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, has announced the 10 semi-finalist teams in the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. To learn more about the Challenge visit www.fb.org/challenge.
  • The Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show, slated for Dec. 3-5 at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas, features several education sessions with a focus on ag topics affecting the Texas Panhandle. New programming at this year’s show will highlight cotton and hemp.
  • Registration is open for the upcoming Farm Foundation® Forum, Exploring Outcome-Based Pricing in Agriculture, at 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
  • UnitedAg announced it is adding the fourteenth wellness center to its ever-growing network that serves California and Arizona farmworkers and their families. Together in partnership with three agricultural employers, the new wellness center will provide healthcare access to farmworkers and their families in the City of Selma.
  • The Hemp Innovation Challenge™ is designed to accelerate the future of the hemp industry by supporting entrepreneurs, researchers and students who are launching the most disruptive hemp innovations in the world. Submissions will come from hemp innovators in universities, companies, research institutes, barns, and government agencies. Finalists will be invited to the World Ag Expo® in Tulare, California in February 2020 to participate in the fast pitch competition.
Zimfo Bytes

Hemp Seed is a Hot Topic for ASTA

Cindy Zimmerman

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) chairman Wayne Gale, Stokes Seeds, spent a lot of time answering questions about hemp seed at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk.

Gale says ASTA’s role is to provide information for the growing hemp industry to help the seed industry identify sources of quality seed “to ensure that the growers that the crop that they want.”

Seed industry interest in hemp is high and the upcoming ASTA CSS and Seed Expo 2019 will feature a session on Hemp Seed Opportunities & Challenges.

Learn more in this report from NAFB with Gale:
NAFB19 Wayne Gale, American Seed Trade Association (3:02)

2019 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Content Creation from the NAFB Convention Thanks to
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
ASTA, Audio, Cannabis, hemp, NAFB, Seed