U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Appoints Co-Directors

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has announced the appointment of Marjory Walker and Liz Hershfield as co-directors to accelerate the program’s growth by advancing market adoption, developing new market-driven offerings, and fostering greater collaboration across the entire cotton value chain.

Walker and Hershfield will oversee distinct but complementary pillars of the program. Walker will lead the operational and programmatic framework, providing strategic oversight for the Standards & Assurance, Field Programs, Communications & Marketing, and Operations teams. She will be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Trust Protocol’s verification process and evolving its standards to incorporate regenerative practices, while advancing its mission through risk mitigation, clear messaging and stakeholder engagement. Concurrently, Hershfield will lead the Trust Protocol’s global market development and supply chain teams, overseeing traceability systems, operations, training, and assurance to ensure integrity and member adherence across the supply chain, deepening engagement with mills, manufacturers, brands, and retailers, and connecting sustainability outcomes with enhanced value for members.

In addition to their new Cotton Trust Protocol roles, Walker will continue to serve as Vice President of Council Operations and Director of Communications for the National Cotton Council (NCC), while Hershfield will remain the Executive Director of Cotton Council International (CCI), the export and promotion arm of NCC.

Walker recently gave an update on the protocol program, which celebrated five years in 2025.
Marjory Walker, Cotton Trust Protocol - interview 3:44

2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Sustainability

Western Ag Network and Ag Information Network Announce Merger

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Western Ag Network (WAN) and Ag Information Network (AIN) announced a strategic merger this week under Nemetz Communications, Inc., bringing together two respected agricultural media organizations to create a comprehensive ag broadcast platform focused in the West and Southeast.

“This merger reflects a shared commitment to elevate the accessibility and depth of agricultural information across the West and beyond,” said Russell Nemetz, President/Owner of Nemetz Communications, Inc. “We’re combining the strengths of two respected networks to create a stronger, more connected platform—without losing the authenticity and credibility our audiences expect.”

With more than 200 radio affiliates across 17 states and a combined legacy of trusted agricultural journalism, the unified network offers an expanded, streamlined, and highly efficient channel for delivering agricultural news, market reporting, and industry insights to producers, communities, and national agribusiness partners alike.

WAN, originally founded as the Evan Slack Network, has long served as a cornerstone of agricultural reporting across the West. AIN brings decades of authoritative regional programming and deep relationships within specialty crop sectors. Together, the two networks combine complementary strengths to serve a broader and more diverse agricultural landscape.

Together, WAN and AIN now deliver agricultural news, markets, weather, and rodeo coverage to more than 200 affiliates across Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Media, Rodeo

Cropin Launches AI-first Agrifood ‘Ecosystem’

Cindy Zimmerman

Cropin, the world’s largest deployed AI platform for food and agriculture, has launched a unique agrifood ‘ecosystem’ connecting agriculture and the digital world by combining data from the field onwards with artificial intelligence.

Cropin founder Krishna Kumar says Cropin Ecosystem will provide a plug-and-play model to help agri-food businesses at every stage in the chain better navigate the complex challenges of data interoperability, climate-change risks, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.

“These pressures are affecting the availability of fresh produce and agricultural commodities, operational margins, pricing strategies, growth opportunities and the ability to meet rising customer demand for sustainably produced food, all while complying with evolving traceability and sustainability regulations,” he points out.

The culmination of partnerships that Cropin has facilitated through its existing platforms, the system draws its inspiration from the Silicon Valley convergence model, uniting leading technology providers, strategic consulting, ERP integrations and satellite and weather intelligence partners into a single, intelligent platform that guarantees surety of supply and builds resilience across the food chain.

Cropin points to the model not only enabling businesses to focus on their core operations with confidence – with Cropin Ecosystem managing the complexity of upstream agricultural processes and supply chain uncertainties – but also offering customers the rich content, knowledge and services of technology and domain experts.

Find out more here: https://www.cropin.com/cropin-ecosystem/

AgWired Precision, AI, Food, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Acre Blitz Launches ESA Compliance Platform

Cindy Zimmerman

Acre Blitz has launched a new platform to help growers and advisors comply with complex Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements on pesticide labels.

Acre Blitz has created two products that work together: the ESA Field Exchange, where growers document their field-level mitigations, and the ESA Check API, which delivers that data to applicators, retailers, cooperatives, and crop consultants at the moment they need it.

“The compliance burden falls on whoever pulls the trigger, but the practices that earn mitigation points are controlled by the grower,” says Kim Brown, co-founder of Acre Blitz. “We built these tools so both sides have access to the same information. Growers document once, applicators can verify in seconds, and everyone has a record.”

How it works:
Growers sign up for the ESA Field Exchange for free at acreblitz.com/esa-field-exchange. They bulk import fields from shapefiles, add products they commonly apply, and the program automatically pulls county-level mitigation points, soil types, hydrologic zone, and slope. Available runoff mitigation points are assigned automatically.

Growers can see which fields meet point requirements and which need additional practices like cover crops, non-irrigated land, or buffer strips. The platform generates runoff mitigation reports pre-filled with their data. Growers choose which fields to share via the ESA Check API, making their documented mitigations visible to their trusted advisors.

Retailers, cooperatives, and crop consultants can also use the ESA Field Exchange as a free tool to help growers get set up, instead of staff spending hours going through the ESA flowchart for every field.

The ESA Field Exchange is free for growers. Retailers, cooperatives, crop consultants, and ag-tech platforms can integrate the ESA Check API into their existing workflows. Learn more at acreblitz.com.

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, pesticides, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Trump Spotlights Deere Announcement in Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman

When President Donald J. Trump spoke in Iowa yesterday, he made the announcement that John Deere is building two new major factories in the United States, a state-of-the-art distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, and a cutting-edge excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina, both set to open in the next year.

“We got the chairman of John Deere here…it’s a great company. Great company. And you just said you’re opening up two massive plants because of tariffs,” Trump said during remarks in Clive, Iowa on Tuesday.

The new Indiana facility will provide product support through parts availability for ag, turf, construction, forestry, mining and turf customers, while the excavator factory will be the first to make excavators entirely in the United States of America.

Trump also touted trade deals he has made to benefit farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. “Japan will now allow the United States to supply up to 100% of automobile ethanol and import Large amounts of aviation biofuels from the United States…The United Kingdom will import nearly $1 billion of ethanol. That’s part of their deal,” said Trump. “Australia is allowing American beef into its market for the first time in more than 20 years…China has agreed to purchase over $40 billion of U.S.-grown soybeans…The European Union will dramatically increase purchases of American pork, dairy, and soybean oil.”

Listen to the first half of the president’s remarks here:
President Trump in Iowa 26:03

Audio, John Deere, politics

Preview Interview of 2026 CattleCon

Chuck Zimmerman

2026 CattleConThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is gearing up for CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, set to take place next week despite recent winter weather challenges.

NCBA Senior Executive Director of Meetings and Events Kristin Torres confirmed that downtown Nashville is recovering well from the ice storm that still has thousands of residents without power. “It does look like it’s going to be chillier than we’d maybe like, but for sure the facilities are all up and running,” said Torres. “Downtown Nashville’s coming back from the storm, most of the bars and restaurants, and all the hotels are open.”

A major highlight this year is the shift to an all-inclusive registration model. Whether attending the full convention or a single day, registrants gain access to everything—Cattleman’s College (previously a separate ticket), general sessions, receptions, the expansive trade show, and more.

Torres says the trade show is completely sold out and expanded to nearly eight acres. It goes beyond traditional exhibits with daily receptions, provided lunches, and on-floor education. Attendees can watch live cattle handling demonstrations in the arena, join sessions in the Learning Lounge and Cattle Chats areas, or catch programs on the new Marquee Stage.

The speaker lineup promises high energy and industry insights. Dale Earnhardt Jr. headlines the opening general session, followed by leadership expert John Acuff, market updates from CattleFax, and a fun closing session with Grammy-winning Jimmy Urie on storytelling through song. Nashville flair shines through special events: Boots on Broadway, an exclusive night at Luke Combs’ Category 10 honky-tonk on Wednesday, and a memorable Grand Ole Opry finale featuring Don Schlitz, The Castellows (cattle-farming trio), The SteelDrivers, and headliner Vince Gill.

With over 8,000 already registered—a record high—Torres urges early online signup at convention.ncba.org, though on-site registration remains available. CattleCon welcomes all in the beef industry, regardless of operation size, offering networking, education, and a voice in the future of beef production.

Interview with Kristin Torres (7:26)

Here’s where you can find registration here.

Ag Groups, Audio, NCBA

Drought and Heat in Cotton Belt Outlook

Cindy Zimmerman

While much of the southern Cotton Belt is in a deep freeze right now, the big concern in the forecast for this season is drought and heat.

Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions told cotton growers at the 2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences that much of the weather risk facing the Cotton Belt in 2026 can be traced to the Pacific Ocean—specifically the ongoing influence of La Niña. Right now, that pattern is working against the southern U.S., keeping the jet stream north and leaving much of Texas, the Delta, and the Southeast drier than normal during winter and early spring.

Snodgrass explained that La Niña winters typically limit moisture recharge across the Cotton Belt, and that’s exactly what’s happening this season. “If you wanted to start 2026 without worrying about drought, you’d want the jet stream coming out of Hawaii,” he said. “That’s what El Niño does. La Niña does the opposite.” The result has been persistent dryness, low river levels along the Mississippi, and limited opportunities to rebuild soil moisture before planting.

Looking ahead, there is some cautious optimism. Forecast models suggest La Niña may weaken and transition toward El Niño by late spring or early summer. That shift would improve moisture prospects in parts of the country, but Snodgrass stressed that El Niño alone does not guarantee summer rainfall for cotton. ENSO patterns matter most in winter, not midsummer.

For summer, the biggest risk factor is the position of high pressure—especially whether the Bermuda High shifts west into Texas, creating what meteorologists call a “Texas Ridge.” When that happens, heat and drought dominate across the Cotton Belt. “Ridges ultimately dictate the pattern of the atmosphere,” Snodgrass said, noting that this setup can shut down rainfall even in otherwise favorable years.

Severe weather remains another concern this spring, particularly across the Delta and Mid-South, where tornado and hail risks have increased in recent years. Snodgrass emphasized that growers should stay flexible and monitor changing patterns closely. “All of this can change rapidly,” he said, underscoring that ocean temperatures and atmospheric ridges—not long-range forecasts—will ultimately decide how the 2026 cotton season unfolds.

Listen to the full presentation:
Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Ag Solutions - presentation 45:35

2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Weather

Precision Ag News 1/27

Carrie Muehling

  • Two leading membership organizations will join forces for their annual events this year to merge expertise and further unite key sectors working with agricultural producers to advance conservation farming practices and celebrate their stewardship. Field to Market, the country’s largest cross-sector alliance for sustainable agriculture, will hold its 2026 Annual Meeting for its nearly 200 member organizations June 1-3 in Raleigh, N.C., followed by the Conservation Technology Information Center’s 19th annual Conservation in Action Tour, America’s premier on-farm experience, on June 3-4.
  • The Nature Conservancy announced the release of Profitable Conservation Around the Margins, a new report demonstrating how edge of field (EoF) practices—such as vegetative buffers, wetlands, and saturated buffers—can help farmers improve profitability while delivering critical environmental benefits. The full report is available for download at nature.org/EdgeofField.
  • Precision Planting revealed new products for both planting and spraying at the PTx Winter Conference at the company’s headquarters in Tremont. New products introduced include ArrowTube, a seed delivery system that provides accurate spacing at high speed. ArrowTube also orients corn seeds with the tip down to promote even germination and emergence. It also orients the embryo sideways to promote corn leaves that grow across the row to capture maximum sunlight. The company also introduced SymphonyVision|Duo, a retrofit sprayer system that uses cameras, concentrate tanks, and a dual nozzle system. SymphonyVision|Duo enables farmers to spot spray contact herbicide and broadcast apply a second tank mix with the sprayer they already own in the same pass.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation, in collaboration with America’s Cultivation Corridor, has opened applications for the Innovate for Impact Challenge, the global AgTech startup competition with a grand prize of USD $50,000, which garnered a pool of applicants from over 60 countries and six continents in 2025.
  • Advanced Agrilytics announced a strategic partnership with Mutiny Crop Performance, signaling a continued evolution in how Advanced Agrilytics brings its environment-based agronomy methodology to market through strategic value-chain collaborations.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Cotton Trust Protocol Grows Sustainability

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The U.S. cotton industry’s voluntary sustainability program has achieved significant success in just five years, according to an update from the National Cotton Council at recent Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

    Marjory Walker, Vice President of Council Operations, says the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has grown rapidly since it launched in July 2020. “We actually have 2,500 global members representing 25 brands in 26 countries,” said . “We have 2,800 mills and manufacturers. We’ve had a 14% increase in our grower enrollment. We encompass 2.58 million acres. So that is quite an accomplishment for a little five-year-old program.”

    Marjory Walker, National Cotton Council, at recent Beltwide Cotton Conferences

    The program released its 2024/25 Annual Report in November showed how grower members have achieved meaningful gains across all six of its sustainability metrics against a 2015 baseline.

    Walker says the program is voluntary for growers looking for a way to enhance their revenue and it’s also a supply chain traceability program for brands. “Brands and retailers are looking for a way to deal with EU legislation and U.S. legislation like the Forced Labor Act. So if you trace your cotton through the supply chain through the trust protocol, then you have a no-risk situation. Basically, if you source U.S. cotton, it’s no risk.”

    Learn more in this interview:
    Marjory Walker, Cotton Trust Protocol - interview 3:44

    2026 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

    Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

    2026 National Ag Day

    Chuck Zimmerman

    2026 Ag DayThe Agriculture Council of America (ACA) is proud to announce the celebration of National Ag Day on March 24, 2026. This annual event recognizes and celebrates the abundance provided by agriculture, acknowledging the essential role it plays in our daily lives.

    Theme: “Agriculture: Together We Grow: Celebrating 250 Years of Progress in Agriculture”

    This year’s theme emphasizes the collaborative efforts of farmers, ranchers, and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector who work tirelessly to provide safe, abundant, and affordable products and also recognizes 250 years of progress.

    National Ag Day Events:

    A series of events are scheduled in Washington, D.C., and virtually to mark this significant day:

    Ag Day Virtual Event: At 9:00 a.m., a live stream of events from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be available. Details and registration can be found at https://www.agday.org/2026events.

    Ag Day at USDA: From 8:30 to Noon at the USDA Whitten Patio, attendees will hear from invited speakers, including the Secretary of Agriculture, view winning essay contest videos, and participate in a student panel discussion as well as a discussion of commodity group leaders. Zippy Duvall from the Farm Bureau is also scheduled to speak. Registration details are available at https://www.agday.org/2026events.

    A Taste of Agriculture Reception: An evening event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. will be held in the Kennedy Caucus Room, SR-325, Russell Senate Office Building, 2 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002. Interested participants can register at https://www.agday.org/2026events.

    Get Involved:

    Organizations can get involved by sponsoring National Ag Day. Details are available at https://www.agday.org/sponsorship-2026.

    Ag Day