Golden Harvest Announces 2020 Lineup

Carrie Muehling

With full approval of its Agrisure Duracade trait, Syngenta continues to expand the number of choices available to its farmer customers. That’s going to be important for the 2020 growing season, according to Dave Young, head of marketing for the Golden Harvest brand.

“It’s going to be an awful tough economic environment. We all know that and understand it in the seed business,” said Young. “As you’re making your cropping plans for next year, make sure you’re taking a look at what you really need out there. Don’t under trait yourself in the interest of just trying to save some money. Make sure you’re truly giving yourself the protection, as well as the top end yield potential that you really need.”

Young encouraged farmers to reach out to a Golden Harvest seed advisor for help with decisions about the 2020 growing season.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Dave here: Interview with Dave Young, Golden Harvest


Syngenta at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta, Video

GROWMARK Urges Congress to Ratify USMCA

Cindy Zimmerman

Because GROWMARK is a farmer-owned cooperative, its priorities reflect the interests of its farmer members, and right now that number one priority is trade in general and the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) in particular.

“Having the assurance of the United States Mexico Canada trade agreement passed will be an ultimate priority, hopefully it won’t go much past October,” said Chuck Spencer, GROWMARK/FS Executive Director of Government Relations. “We obviously need to make sure that we do whatever we can to keep the farm economy moving in a very positive direction.”

Spencer says it’s been a rough year for agriculture and getting USMCA passed sooner rather than later will help. He also says that it is more important to work on USMCA than China right now because it is most achievable.

In this interview, Spencer talks about other key issues for agriculture in Congress, including rural broadband internet access and renewing the biodiesel tax incentive.

Interview with Chuck Spencer, GROWMARK government relations

AgWired Precision, Audio, FS System, GROWMARK, Trade

Animal Ag Bites 9/16

Carrie Muehling

  • On September 28 and 29, alpaca business owners throughout North America will celebrate the 12th annual National Alpaca Farm Days. Alpaca Owners Association, Inc. invites you to visit participating member farms and ranches during this fun-filled family event. For a complete list of participating farms and ranches, visit www.AlpacaFarmDays.com.
  • Just 10 years after its inception, the Beef Checkoff-funded Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program celebrated its 15,000th graduate in August. The program was created to equip and engage beef industry advocates to communicate about beef and beef production. It is one of the strongest beef advocacy efforts in the industry.
  • The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which brings the dairy community together to advance a shared social responsibility platform, is accepting nominations for the ninth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. Nominations are open through Nov. 15 and there is no fee to enter.
  • Cargill is joining forces with dairy farmer Tara Vander Dussen, also known as New Mexico Milkmaid, to get more milk to families in need. Inspired by September being Hunger Action Month, Vander Dussen is using her social media following to encourage participation in a fun and light-hearted milk chugging challenge. For every person who posts a video or picture of themselves chugging milk on Instagram, with the hashtag #MilkChugChallenge, and tagging New Mexico Milkmaid, Vander Dussen will donate $1 (up to $500) to www.giveagallon.com throughout the month of September and Cargill with match her donation dollar for dollar.
  • The Archer Daniels Midland Company announced a $2.5-million gift to assist with funding construction of the Feed Technology Center, a key asset that will advance educational and research opportunities within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, and will advance animal agriculture and companion animal nutrition across the globe.
  • The time-tested Purina® Omolene® horse feed lineup now contains Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement. This addition to the Omolene® feed line provides gastric support in every meal.
  • The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to announce Joe Harris, Ph.D., executive vice president of Westway Feed Products, as its 2019 Liquid Feed Hall of Fame inductee.
  • R & D Life Sciences, LLC announces it has tapped Nathan Hillis to fill the position of National Sales Director.
  • The National Pork Board announced plans to migrate Pork Checkoff remittances to its online platform. The online Checkoff remittance system is designed to significantly reduce the processing time, paper and other expenses for the Pork Board, while also providing pork producers flexibility with payment options, improve operational efficiencies and create cost savings.
  • Hiland Dairy‘s Strawberry Yogurt made in Wichita, Kansas, Whole Chocolate Milk made in Little Rock, Arkansas, Bulgarian Buttermilk made in Chandler, Oklahoma, Natural Sour Cream made in Norman, Oklahoma, Sassy Salsa Dip made in Omaha, Nebraska and Vanilla Ice Cream made in Tyler, Texas were first-place winners, or “Best of the Best” at the 2019 World Dairy Expo (WDE) Championship Dairy Product Contest.
  • To gather real-world insights into the professional landscape for women in agriculture, Alltech has announced its support of an industry-wide survey. Launched on Sept. 10, this global survey aims to collect feedback about the barriers that impede progress and to identify the resources needed to ensure workplace equality. The survey is open to women and men across all sectors of the agri-food industry, and the results will be revealed at the Women in Food & Agriculture Summit, to be held Dec. 3–4, 2019, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • Congressional ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), allowing the U.S. pork industry to maintain zero-duty market access to two of its largest export markets, remains a top priority for the National Pork Producers Council. More than 120 pork producers from across the country helped spread this and other messages on Capitol Hill this week during NPPC’s Fall Legislative Action Conference.
  • The Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin’s largest dairy lobbying group, applauds three state lawmakers for a new legislative effort to stop the use of misleading labels on imitation milk and other “dairy” products. Legislation proposed by Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Reps. Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City, and Loren Oldenburg, R-Viroqua, would ban the labeling of products as milk or as a dairy product or ingredient if the food is not made from the milk of a cow, sheep, goat or other mammals.
  • To help producers meet the unique nutritional needs of lactating sows, Nedap Livestock Management has introduced Nedap Activator, an add-on to Nedap Farrowing Feeding that automatically drops feed when sows trigger an electronic sensor with their snouts.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Extending the Xtend Soybean Platform

Carrie Muehling

Farmers can look forward to the next generation of the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, with approval of Roundup Ready Xtend Flex Soybeans expected in 2020. The current system has helped growers maintain clean fields even in a challenging year, according to Ryan Rubischko, Soybean Portfolio Lead for Bayer Crop Science.

“We know across the Midwest many farmers have had some challenges,” said Rubischko, who was at the 2019 Farm Progress Show. “Planting got delayed because of the wet conditions, and then as planting got delayed, weeds became more of a challenge to deal with. And I think what farmers have really seen is what the value that Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System can provide them in terms of weed control.”

Rubischko said farmers can anticipate wider availability of the next generation system for the 2021 growing season.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Ryan here: Interview with Ryan Rubischko, Bayer

Bayer at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Farm Progress Show, Soybean

Farmers for Free Trade Rally for USMCA

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers for Free Trade brought its #MotorcadeForTrade to Washington D.C. Thursday to highlight the importance of ag trade with Canada and Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that Congress will consider to upgrade NAFTA.

Members of Congress and farm leaders discussed how USMCA provides farmers with new market access while maintaining a zero-tariff platform, and stressed the need for Congressional leaders move forward with consideration of the agreement without further delay.

Among those who spoke were House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking member Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX); U.S. Dairy Export Council CEO Tom Vilsack, AFBF president Zippy Duvall, and National Association of Wheat Growers president Ben Scholz.

Listen to Rep. Peterson kick off the rally here:
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) at USMCA Rally

AFBF, Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Trade

Zimfo Bytes 9/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Corteva Agriscience, together with Des Moines Area Community College, has awarded the first of 25 scholarships created as part of a pilot program announced June 5 to train rural-based students in high-value, high-demand software development and technology skills. Corteva contributed $187,500 to fund 25 scholarships of up to $7,500 each.
  • The National Science Teaching Association and Corteva Agriscience have collaborated to bring new, science-based lesson plans and resources to elementary teachers nationwide. A series of 10 teacher-reviewed lesson plans exploring food and agricultural themes are now available at https://www.nsta.org/corteva.
  • American Vanguard Corporation and AMVAC, an American Vanguard company, welcome Nathaniel Quinn as the marketing manager for the corn, soybean and sugar beet portfolio. In addition, Director of Portfolio and Marketing Communications Management Neil DeStefano has added business development to his responsibilities.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce that The Greenbrier Companies has joined the organization.
  • Now that sign-up for the 2018 farm law has begun, National Cotton Council staff will be conducting
    farm law education webinars. The dates and times (all Central) are: Thursday, September 19, 8:00 a.m.; Monday, September 23, 8:00 a.m.; Wednesday, September 25, 8:00 a.m.; and Thursday, September 26, 10:00 a.m. For this webinar, guests will need to use Zoom software. To connect, click https://cotton.zoom.us/j/589146147.
  • For the last six years, Culver’s and its Thank You Farmers Project have teamed up with farms from across the country to create beautiful, elaborate corn mazes. This year’s corn maze is at Feltz’s Dairy Store in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with a design featuring iconic images like a windmill, barn and tractor among the winding maze. Since the creation of the Thank You Farmers Project in 2013, Culver’s has donated over $2 million to advancing agricultural education for FFA and other agricultural organizations. Learn more about this year’s mazes and the Thank You Farmers Project at http://www.culvers.com/thankyoufarmersproject.
  • Learfield IMG College is pleased to announce the addition of Ted Bright to the Brownfield Ag News Sales Team.
  • UPL announced that Adrian Percy is joining the company as Chief Technology Officer for the Crop Protection Business. Percy previously served as Head of Research and Development for the Crop Science division of Bayer, where he held responsibility for internal and open innovation activities in the areas of crop protection chemistry, biologicals, seeds, and traits.
  • The National FFA Organization is answering the need for more highly skilled graduates to fill job openings in the field of agriculture, and nowhere is this more evident than in the organization’s growing membership. The organization announced a record-high student membership of 700,170, up from 669,989 in 2018.
  • National Farmers Union proudly recognized 26 outstanding U.S. Senators and Representatives who have demonstrated leadership and support at the federal policymaking level for family farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. The Golden Triangle Award, the family farm organization’s highest legislative honor, was presented to each recipient this week during NFU’s Fall Legislative Fly-In.
  • Tate & Lyle PLC and Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN announced a major new initiative to help bolster sustainability on 1.5 million acres of U.S.-grown corn. Using best-in-class technology and sustainability solutions from Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, U.S. Midwest corn farmers will be helped to more effectively target and measure the impact of efforts to protect the environment.
  • To gather real-world insights into the professional landscape for women in agriculture, Alltech has announced its support of an industry-wide survey. Launching on Sept. 10, this global survey, which will be conducted in partnership with AgriBriefing, aims to collect feedback about the barriers that impede progress and to identify the resources needed to ensure workplace equality. The survey is open to women and men across all sectors of the agri-food industry, and the results will be revealed at the Women in Food & Agriculture Summit, to be held Dec. 3–4, 2019, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
  • The theme for the 2020 GROWMARK Essay Contest is: “Describe the ‘Farmer of the Future.’ What tools or skills will he or she need to be successful?” The contest is open to all high school FFA members in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
  • The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium has received $255,500 from the United Soybean Board to help develop an ecosystem service protocol for the Soy and Corn Belt. In addition to the partnership with USB, ESMC has added six new members to its Consortium. Nestle is joining as a Founding Circle Member, and the American Soybean Association; NativeEnergy; Newtrient, LLC; the Conservation Technology Information Center and World Wildlife Fund are joining as Legacy Partners.
Zimfo Bytes

EPA Officially Ditches the #WOTUS Rule

Cindy Zimmerman

Agricultural organizations are celebrating the official repeal of a rule that they have been fighting since 2015 – Waters of the United States, better known as WOTUS.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Department of the Army Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James announced that the agencies are repealing the rule and “recodifying the longstanding and familiar regulatory text that existed prior to the 2015 Rule—ending a regulatory patchwork that required implementing two competing Clean Water Act regulations, which has created regulatory uncertainty across the United States.”

“Today’s Step 1 action fulfills a key promise of President Trump and sets the stage for Step 2 – a new WOTUS definition that will provide greater regulatory certainty for farmers, landowners, home builders, and developers nationwide,” said Administrator Wheeler.

Listen to Wheeler’s announcement:
EPA Administrator announces WOTUS repeal

Happy to be on hand for the announcement was American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall who said the WOTUS issue and AFBF’s “Ditch the Rule” campaign generated more interest among member than any ever before.

Listen to Duvall’s comments:
AFBF president Zippy Duvall comments on WOTUS repeal

AFBF, Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, EPA

Syngenta Offers Choices for 2020 with NK Soybeans

Carrie Muehling

Syngenta is bolstering its already strong NK Soybean platform with different traits that will help farmers when it comes to fighting weed pressure in their fields.

“Soybeans used to be easy. It used to be the easy button. But today, it’s a lot more complex,” said Jim Shertzer, Head of NK Marketing for Syngenta. “And what we’ve learned is with that complexity, you have to offer choices to help growers manage through these different things that they’re having to manage, which is weeds, risk… and trying to find a return on investment as it relates to soybeans.”

Syngenta is offering 68 new varieties available for the 2020 season, including Enlist E3™ soybeans, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® and LibertyLink® GT27™. As many are ready to put a challenging 2019 behind them, Shertzer pointed out the importance of having trusted advisors and partners as growers make decisions for the 2020 growing season.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Shertzer, NK Brand


Syngenta at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Soybean, Syngenta

GROWMARK Vetting New Technology with AgValidity

Carrie Muehling

GROWMARK‘s AgValidity platform is allowing the company to work with new companies offering innovative technologies in order to test out products and services that could be beneficial to their member companies.

“The number one thing that we hear farmers talk about and that we’re talking with our crop specialists about is that ‘one click to value.’ There are a lot of really exciting new technologies out there right now, but figuring out which ones are real, which ones are providing the best value, and then doing it quickly and efficiently so the grower just has to see he’s got a problem and a couple of clicks later has already solved it,” said Katie Hansen, GROWMARK Agronomy Project Manager.

Hansen said the new MyField 365 app is an example of a technology product where GROWMARK worked with other companies to bring different layers of data together for the benefit of growers. Hansen shared the cooperative’s findings with visitors to the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Katie here: Interview with Katie Hansen, GROWMARK

GROWMARK at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, GROWMARK, Technology

Get to Know IntelliFarms

Carrie Muehling

Driving profitability back to growers is the name of the game for IntelliFarms, a technology company offering a platform to help growers make better decisions on a daily basis.

While farmers are often looking at ways to increase yield or increase acres, IntelliFarms can help them to become more profitable with what they already have within their operation.

“One of the things we can provide is with the acres that you have, if you are able to make better decisions and farm smarter, you can be more profitable with what you do have,” said Brett Andricks, Vice President of Strategic Division.

That could include matching growers up with processor who offer premiums for specific products, or helping them to transition into growing varieties that might pay more. Andricks said helping farmers to prove traceability and sustainability from seed to market can often improve profitability, and the company offers that through the SureTrack PRO platform. He said IntelliFarms works in nearly every state as well as eight countries, currently managing and marketing more than 80 different crops. Andricks was at the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Brett here: Interview with Brett Andricks, IntelliFarms

2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show