2019 Georgia Deer Season Includes Feral Hogs

Chuck Zimmerman

Can-Am in the WoodsOpening day for the 2019 Georgia firearms deer season was wet. I mean it rained all day. But the southeast needed that rain in a big way and it did not stop deer activity. The next day we had sunshine as you can see in this photo of our Can-Am Defender from my stand. Right after that I harvested a spike buck. Opening day I harvested two does. So I’ve got a lot of venison I’ll be freezing this week while taking a large portion to a local processor for summer sausage and hamburger.

Can-Am with PigsNow let’s talk feral hogs. I shared a photo from one of our trail cams recently and am happy to report that my brother Paul deleted their number by seven on opening day. Here’s a Can-Am Defender load of five of them. It sounds like a lot but we’ve got one group of them numbering almost forty and another that it is a little less. For the first time in the years I’ve been hunting in Georgia I’m seeing hogs on the sides of the roads that have been hit by cars. I counted five in just one hour long drive one morning. They are a serious problem. We’re doing our part but it’s not enough.

Georgia’s season continues through mid-January so the Crystal Pig Hunt Club members will be out several times trying to reduce hog numbers and hopefully seeing some of the large bucks which are showing up on our cameras. If you hunt deer let me know how things are going for you. I’ve seen some great photos on social media already which include children who are getting their first opportunity to hunt with Mom or Dad.

Can-Am, Hunting

Zimfo Bytes 10/25

Carrie Muehling

  • The Pork Checkoff’s board of directors is accepting applications through Nov. 1 to fill five three-year terms. State pork producer associations, farm organizations or individuals who pay the Pork Checkoff, including pig farmers and pork importers, may submit an application.
  • In April 2019, Mike Builta, a GROWMARK vice president and long-time employee, passed away unexpectedly. To honor his memory, the GROWMARK Foundation will be providing 100 FFA jackets to FFA members in Illinois. Twenty-five jackets will be provided each year over the next four years. Students submitted an essay explaining what an FFA jacket means to them and their goals as an FFA member.
  • An all-new cotton education program is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show in Amarillo, Texas. Dubbed Cotton U, this half-day, farmer education event, presented by High Plains Journal, will bring industry knowledge and forward-thinking presentations to attendees.
  • Courtney Rude Lamie was recently promoted from account manager to vice president of BLNKPG Marketing.
  • Barchart, a leading provider of data and solutions for commodity markets, announces the creation of the cmdty Pricing Network (CPN), a price contributor network designed to increase transparency in agricultural markets.
  • Agri-Pulse Communications is looking for an intern who is passionate about reporting on farm, food and rural policy issues and serving our growing audience. Please send a cover letter, resume and at least three writing samples before Nov. 15 to Managing Editor Spencer Chase at Spencer@Agri-Pulse.com.
  • The 44th annual American Agri-Women (AAW) convention will be held in Tigard, Oregon, from November 6-10 at the Embassy Suites on Washington Square. For more information or to register for the convention, go to https://www.owaonline.org/2019-aaw-convention/ or call 541-791-6031.
Zimfo Bytes

China Reportedly Willing to Buy $20 Billion in US Ag Products

Cindy Zimmerman

News reports today say China is willing to buy at least $20 billion of agricultural products in a year, and possibly twice as much or more in the future.

President Donald Trump talked about China buying agricultural products during a cabinet meeting on Monday.

“If we could get $20 billion a year from China — that China purchases $20 billion a year of agricultural product — that would be a great thing,” said President Trump. “And I said, ‘I want more.’ They said, “The farmers can’t handle it.” I said, ‘Tell them to buy larger tractors.'”

President Trump said he told negotiators he wanted $60-70 billion. “And we agreed to $40 [billion] to $50 billion.”

The president hopes to have this “phase one” of the deal ready to sign when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Chile next month.

Audio: Trump Cabinet meeting China remarks (2:29)

Audio, Exports, Trade

33rd Georgia Peanut Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

33rd Georgia Peanut TourLike peanuts? Consider taking a tour next year in Georgia. Here’s a recap of this year’s Georgia Peanut Tour.

The thirty-third annual Georgia Peanut Tour was held Sept. 17-19, 2019, in Cordele, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.

You can see more about the tour on the Georgia Peanut Tour Blog.


Ag Groups, Peanuts

Precision Ag Bytes 10/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Bayer will present its latest biological innovations which are now together under the “Biologicals by Bayer” umbrella brand name at this year’s Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting.
  • Agricultural water accounting leader SWIIM System announced that it has entered into a long-term, strategic sales and distribution agreement with RDO Water, a 50-year-old, trusted provider of agricultural equipment and irrigation systems to growers and water districts throughout multiple regions with more than 75 stores in nine states, and partners with distributors in Africa, Australia, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine.
  • BASF has launched 2020 Agronomic Advantage, a new grower-focused program that offers both flexibility and rewards.
  • The House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing to examine the conservation benefits of precision agriculture. After the hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Doug LaMalfa (CA-1) released the following remarks: “Precision agriculture allows farmers to increase productivity while minimizing input costs. Ideally, all farmers and ranchers would be able to utilize precision agriculture to improve both conservation efforts and farm productivity. In the 2018 Farm Bill, we added precision agriculture to several innovation-driven programs and included multiple provisions aimed at expanding broadband networks to rural areas. Smart conservation, like precision agriculture, is the key to protecting our land and the livelihood of American farmers for generations to come.”
  • Ceres Imaging announced a number of new features and core product improvements. In preparation for the 2020 growing season, growers and farm advisors now have access to: offline imagery, improved chlorophyll index, enhanced flight details, and a new client onboarding portal.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Animal Ag Bites 10/21

Carrie Muehling

  • A new environmental study has found that pig farms are generating less manure nutrient content associated with odor. Data gathered from more than 106,000 samples at 182 North Carolina farms shows significant reductions in ammonia levels and manure nutrient content. The improvements are attributed to gains in feed efficiency, which means it takes less feed to raise a pig.
  • The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) and the National FFA Organization (FFA) have established a partnership to cooperate on agricultural education programs in the area of animal food production.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online Scholarship Competition is in full swing. More than 300 students and 20 collegiate clubs are competing for $21,000 in scholarships as they communicate about agriculture and food online and at in-person events. To support students competing in this year’s CAO competition, search for the hashtag #CAO19 on social media and like, comment and share the posts. So far, students have earned 2.3 million impressions on social media since the competition kicked off on September 16. CAO 2019 runs through November 16, 2019.
  • Honeysuckle White® and Shady Brook Farms® turkey are the presenting sponsors of Friendsgiving® for No Kid Hungry, a program encouraging and empowering consumers to give back during their Friendsgiving gatherings. Friendsgiving for No Kid Hungry will provide opportunities for consumers to provide for kids who live with hunger, while giving thanks and celebrating in the company of friends. In three easy steps, consumers can sign up to have their Friendsgiving celebration benefit No Kid Hungry and start planning their gathering via online inspiration at HoneysuckleWhite.com/Friendsgiving or ShadyBrookFarms.com/Friendsgiving.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

USDA Deputy Provides Farm Bill Update

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing Thursday to hear from USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky regarding implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.

“At the Secretary’s direction, our implementation cadence and priorities corresponded to the conditions testing the resilience of the American farmer,” Censky told the committee. He gave updates on implementation of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, conservation programs and the Hemp Production Program in advance of the 2020 planting season.

Listen to his opening remarks below and read full testimony.

Senate Ag Hearing - USDA Deputy Steve Censky (5:14)

The announcement out of EPA this week regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) came up during the hearing. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) was first to ask about it. “I can just assure you directly from conversations with the president and the president is insistent that EPA administer this to make sure we achieve 15 billion gallons,” said Censky. Listen to that exchange:

Sen. Smith and USDA Deputy Censky - EPA RFS proposal (3:07)

Audio, Biofuels, Ethanol, Farm Bill, USDA

Zimfo Bytes 10/18

Carrie Muehling

  • Novus International, Inc. announced that François Fraudeau plans to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer after 28 successful years with the company. Novus’s Board of Directors will hire a former Novus Executive, Dan Meagher, to be the next President and CEO, effective April 1st, 2020.
  • Ringneck Energy of Onida, S.D. has joined the Renewable Fuels Association as its newest producer member, with CEO Walt Wendland being elected to the RFA Board of Directors at the association’s recent annual meeting in Minneapolis.
  • Swanson Russell welcomes Michael Bartsch, Heather Caha, Stephen Geiser, Leah Giess, Lisa Schumacher and R.J. Shrimpton.
  • The Western Growers Board of Directors has unanimously selected Dave Puglia as the organization’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Puglia will succeed current President and CEO Tom Nassif, who is retiring after 18 years as a forceful and effective leader in the nation’s agriculture industry, on February 1, 2020.
  • The Farm Credit Administration board has selected Roger Paulsen to serve as FCA’s chief examiner and director of the agency’s Office of Examination. Mr. Paulsen succeeds Robert Coleman, who was named FCA’s chief operating officer in August.
  • The American Feed Industry Association’s Board of Directors has officially appointed Constance Cullman as president and chief executive officer of the association and the president of the industry’s public charity, the Institute for Feed Education and Research.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the Seeding Rural Resilience Act sponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), which is designed to help farmers respond to stress and decrease the stigma associated with mental health care in rural communities. The full text of the Seeding Rural Resilience Act is available here.
  • The Board of Directors of Rodale Institute, the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Moyer as Chief Executive Officer.
Zimfo Bytes

Global Ag Innovation Program Launched

Cindy Zimmerman

During the World Food Prize activities this week in Des Moines, America’s Cultivation Corridor™ announced the launch of the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program™ for startup companies and entrepreneurs. The new program will bring international start-ups to Iowa for a 10-day immersion experience, training and networking.

“Iowa producers feed and fuel the world, making us the perfect host for the 2019 World Food Prize,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “We know that the solutions to global food security and sustainability challenges can only be solved by a combination of innovations, technologies and new practices developed by the best and brightest minds around the world. The Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program is an exciting new opportunity to bring global entrepreneurs and innovators to Iowa to share their ideas and engage with world-renowned researchers, industry leaders and farmers.”

America’s Cultivation Corridor will host and coordinate the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program in partnership with its investors and supporting organizations.

America’s Cultivation Corridor is working to accelerate the development of new technologies to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. Stakeholders include Iowa State University, Corteva Agriscience, Deere & Company, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Pork Producers, Kent Corporation, MidAmerican Energy Company, Ames Economic Development Corporation, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Iowa Farm Bureau, ISG, Kemin, REG, Sukup Manufacturing, Sukup Manufacturing, Co., Summit Agriculture and Vermeer Corporation.

Technology, World Food Prize

Precision Ag Bytes 10/16

Carrie Muehling

  • Aaron Magenheim, CEO of AgTech Insight welcomes John Jefferson to his consulting team. John Jefferson is the Managing Partner of Sage Synergies, which he founded shortly after over 20 years at AT&T.
  • Bayer’s digital agriculture division, The Climate Corporation, announced a partnership between its industry-leading FieldView™ digital farming platform and Tillable, a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace connecting farmers and landowners.
  • September was a fairly solid month overall for retail sales of tractors and combines in the United States and Canada, according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Total farm tractor sales in the U.S. increased 18.7 percent in September compared to last year, while self-propelled combine sales increased 12.3 percent. Year to date, total U.S. tractor sales are up nearly 5 percent, while sales of self-propelled combines are up 1.8 percent.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes