Animal Ag Bites 8/12

Carrie Muehling

  • Dairy farmers can now quickly and conveniently analyze their milk component efficiency using a new online calculator from Cargill that can be accessed at www.cargilldairydreams.com/calculator.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association announces the release of the U.S. poultry industry’s first-ever report quantifying antimicrobial use on broiler chicken and turkey farms. The new report shows dramatic reductions of turkey and broiler chicken antimicrobial use over a five-year time frame.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report detailing observations from the Animal Rights National Conference, held July 25 through July 28 in Alexandria, Virginia.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council’s government affairs office in Washington, D.C., is already accepting internship applications for the Summer 2020 semester. Positions for next summer (mid-May – early August 2020) include a public policy intern and law clerk. The deadline to submit an application for either position is Dec. 6, 2019. To apply for the public policy internship or law clerk position, visit http://www.beefusa.org/opportunitiesforstudents.aspx.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council launched a digital campaign focused on the value of grazing. The digital campaign was created to explore key elements of grazing that benefit the environment, rural communities, and local economies across the United States.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Farm and Biofuel Groups Dismayed by EPA Refinery Waivers

Cindy Zimmerman

Small refinery waivers will continue to take a chunk out of the gallons of biofuel that should be blended into our nation’s transportation fuel supply under the Renewable Fuel Standard, thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement late Friday that granted 31 more exemptions, representing 1.43 billion gallons of additional lost RFS demand. Only six of the requests for 2018 were denied by the agency, and this latest action brings the total number of waivers granted from 2016-2018 to 85. That compares to only 23 granted in the previous three years.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they were shocked by the announcement after President Trump heard directly from farmers and ethanol plant workers about the disastrous economic impacts of these small refinery handouts during his visit to an Iowa ethanol plant two months ago. “At a time when ethanol plants in the Heartland are being mothballed and jobs are being lost, it is unfathomable and utterly reprehensible that the Trump Administration would dole out more unwarranted waivers to prosperous petroleum refiners,” said Cooper.

Interview with Cooper –
RFA CEO Geoff Cooper reacts to new waivers

“Waivers reduce demand for ethanol, lower the value of our crop and undermine the President’s support for America’s farmers,” said National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Lynn Chrisp. “Farmers are facing a sixth consecutive year of depressed income and commodity prices, with farm income for 2019 projected to be half of what it was in 2013.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings says EPA’s action reinforces the need to challenge the agency in court to restore lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from the unprecedented number of retroactive waivers. “The RFS is supposed to ensure the use of ethanol and biodiesel increases from one year to the next, but 85 Small Refinery Exemptions later and over 4 billion waived gallons represents an enormous step backwards,” said Jennings.

The biodiesel industry is being hit especially hard by the refinery waivers, according to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

“EPA and administration personnel are well aware that the ongoing spree of big oil exemptions destroy demand for biodiesel and render the RFS program meaningless,” said Kurt Kovarik, NBB’s Vice President of Federal Affairs, who adds that damage to the U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry could reach $7.7 billion or 2.54 billion gallons.

House Agriculture Committee chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) also reacted to the news. “The Administration tried to bury bad news for rural America by quietly approving 31 more waivers this Friday afternoon that undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the market for corn. On Wednesday, I hosted a packed forum at Farmfest with Secretary Perdue where farmers raised this issue again and again. Farmers are on the front lines of the tariff war and this announcement by the EPA will only make things worse.”

ACE, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

John Deere Supports Ag Journalists Worldwide

Carrie Muehling

John Deere was among companies attending the 2019 Ag Media Summit and International Federation of Ag Journalists conference in Minneapolis.

“John Deere definitely sees a value for us to support ag journalists worldwide, and so with the international folks here, as well, this year, it’s just important for us to be here and to talk to them about what’s going on in the ag economy and meet with journalists and show our support for what they do all over the world,” said Laurel Caes, John Deere’ public relations manager supporting North American agriculture.

Caes said it was fascinating to talk with people from all over the world, where cultures differ as do advancements in technology and engineering. She fielded unique questions about agriculture in the United States, as well as some questions specific to farm tours offered during the conference.

Caes said John Deere is looking forward to the fall farm show season, including a presence at the upcoming Farm Progress Show in Illinois.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Laurel here: Interview with Laurel Caes, John Deere

2019 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Equipment, IFAJ, John Deere

Zimfo Bytes 8/9

Carrie Muehling

  • Discovery Park of America announced that it will open an exhibit dedicated to telling the story of innovation in agriculture. Opening Oct. 22, 2020, “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival” will be located in the 8,900-square-foot building that currently houses the museum and heritage park’s tractor barn.
  • “A Berry Good Project,” a free downloadable book geared toward third-to fifth-grade students, is now available from Feeding Minds Press.
  • Growth Energy announced that Nathan VanderGriend has been elected to the organization’s board of directors.
  • Leslie Cummings, an award-winning communications strategist, has joined the staff of Farm Foundation.
  • The American Sugar Alliance is recognizing Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Mike Conaway (R-TX) for their work on behalf of agriculture after both have announced they will not seek re-election in 2020.
  • The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading jumped to 153 in July, up 27 points from June, and up 52 points from May. Results are based on a survey of 400 agricultural producers across the U.S. conducted from July 15 through July 19, 2019, which was prior to USDA’s announcement of 2019 MFP payment rates. Read the full July Ag Economy Barometer report at https://purdue.ag/agbarometer.
  • More than a decade ago, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) selected a biobased transformer fluid to avoid contamination of soil and groundwater in the event of a petroleum-based transformer fluid spill. Though they have never experienced a spill, the agency is confident that the biobased alternative is the best choice and continues to use it in the two transformers on its North Carolina campus. When the NIEHS environmental team met with United Soybean Board (USB) representatives at an agency Earth Day event in 2019, they learned about additional soy-biobased products that could be used for operations, maintenance and construction on the NIEHS campus.
  • The next Agricultural Relations Council webinar is scheduled for Thursday, August 15, 2019 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM (EDT) as J.J. Jones, Co-Founder, Roots and Legacies, shares how to develop an approach to communicating that makes a connection and helps make change happen.
  • From the stage of the 30th Anniversary celebration of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in India, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize, announced that Dr. Madhura Swaminathan has joined the Foundation’s Council of Advisors.
  • A limited number of seats are still available for the 2019 Nebraska Water & Natural Resources Tour. The tour runs September 15-19 and begins and ends in Billings, MT. Learn more and register here.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, has opened online applications for the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. In its sixth year, the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge is a national business competition for U.S. food and agriculture startups. Entrepreneurs will compete for $145,000 in startup funds.
  • Swanson Russell welcomes Jake Allen, Megan Bird, Chloe King, Amber Olderbak, Lauren O’Malley, Maddy Patten and Abby Stonehocker.
Zimfo Bytes

Bayer Talks Sustainability, Transparency

Carrie Muehling

Sustainability and transparency are more than just buzz words to Bayer, according to Utz Klages, who works in communications out of the company’s Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany.

“For us, it’s important to fill sustainability with life, with action, with measures and also with some core activity,” said Klages. “We are a company with more than 150 years history. It’s in our DNA. And now we’re trying to make agriculture more sustainable. So that’s why we are investing not only heavily in research and development, in order to provide farmers worldwide with new tools, new technologies, in order to make agriculture more sustainable.”

Klages said those efforts include reducing the CO2 footprint, using less water, implementing new spray technologies and helping farmers to obtain more data-driven tools. Bayer is working on an initiative to reduce agriculture inputs by 30 percent until 2030, and Klages said that includes not only farms, but also production plants worldwide. He said transparency is also important throughout this process as consumers in many areas currently exhibit a lack of trust in science, in politics and in corporate business. Klages was at the 2019 Ag Media Summit in Minneapolis.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Utz here: Interview with Utz Klages, Bayer

2019 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Bayer, Sustainability

Precision Ag Bytes 8/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Share the story of how conservation is part of your farm operation and you could be recognized with a Conservation Legacy Award. More information on past winners of the award and how to submit your application is available in the “About” section under “Awards” on the American Soybean Association website. All applications must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 13, 2019.
  • Bayer has awarded BioSTL a $1.5 million grant to support its new headquarters. BioSTL is located in St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation Community. Funds from the grant will help the organization develop new office and lab space as well as expand its comprehensive range of business development programs
  • Inari, the next-generation seed company, announced the closing of its $89 million Series C financing, bringing the company’s total funding to date to $144 million. Funds will be used to accelerate the commercial introduction of the company’s high-performance corn and soybean seeds in the U.S. market.
  • Gevo, Inc. announces a partnership with Locus Agricultural Solutions® (Locus AG) to trial a new technology, developed by Locus AG, that is expected to improve capture of soil carbon, reduce applied nitrogen fertilizer needs and improve yield. Locus AG’s Rhizolizer® is a line of fresh, non-GMO soil “probiotic” treatments which are produced from proven microorganisms and tailored to meet the needs of local farmers.
  • The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) has been fostering transformation in agriculture through improved soil health since 2014. This year, SHP celebrates its fifth anniversary and the foundational collaborations that developed the program.
  • BRANDT has acquired a retail agronomy company in Farmersville, IL. Farmers Exchange Fertilizer, Inc. will become part of the BRANDT organization, strengthening the company’s commitment to Central Illinois.
  • With grain and forage yields up to 40 percent greater than its conventional cousin, hybrid rye provides growers with abundant marketing, feeding and soil-health opportunities says Walker Sik, Agronomist and Seed Production Specialist with Millborn Seeds.
  • Producers now have an easy-to-use tool to help create custom cover crop mixes, thanks to the Millborn Seeds My SeedMix Web App.
  • Pioneer announced expanded availability of Pioneer® brand Enlist E3™ soybeans for 2020. Varieties will be available across the U.S. in a range of maturities.
  • The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Proposed Rule regarding Movement of Certain Genetically Engineered Organisms. The submission voiced support for the proposed rule while also offering several suggestions that would strengthen the final rule. The proposed rule marks the first comprehensive revision of USDA’s regulations since they were established in 1987.
  • The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) put forward a consumer-friendly proposal that would improve public access to information about new agricultural biotechnology products. Combined with a new science-based regulatory approach, BIO’s proposal will foster greater public confidence and support bringing new sustainable agricultural solutions to the market.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Can-Am Introduces Defender 6X6

Carrie Muehling

Participants at the 2019 Ag Media Summit in Minneapolis saw a brand new model from Can-Am that is scheduled for a 2020 release.

Unlike anything Can-Am has built before, the Defender 6X6 DPS Side-by-Side has a giant bed allowing for expanded storage, with the capability of removing the sides and tailgate for tremendous flexibility, according to Andrew Howard, media relations.

“When Can-Am came out with the Defender Side-by-Side in 2016, they wanted to build a machine that fit a lot of different needs and they just continue to grow upon that,” said Howard.

The newest model features an additional 10HP with an improved transmission system and less engine noise than previous models. Users can put 1,000 lbs. on the bed or tow up to 3,000 lbs. The model goes to production in August and is available for pre-order through local dealers or the Can-Am website.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Andrew here: Interview with Andrew Howard, Can-Am

2019 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Can-Am

Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider Appreciates Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Dee Snider, lead singer for Twisted Sister, known for the popular bikers song “Ride To Live, Live To Ride”, served as Captain for the 12th annual Legends Ride at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association and the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground.

The “We’re Not Gonna Take It” singer had some nice things to say about ethanol prior to the ride. “Renewable fuels, ethanol is amazing and the more we use, the better,” said Snider. “I’ve been an environmentalist forever and driving muscle cars and motorcycles isn’t the friendliest so it’s nice to have an alternative.”

Listen here:
Interview with Dee Snider, Twisted Sister

2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with RFA at The Chip photo album

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Research Collaboration at FMC

Chuck Zimmerman

FMC Corporation recently announced a major investment in agricultural product research and development over the next three years, including a state-of-the-art upgrade at the company’s Global Research and Development headquarters in Newark, Delaware. The company also has innovation centers in Europe, Asia and Latin America, as well as research field stations here in the U.S. at Rochelle, Illinois and Madera, California.

At the 2019 Ag Media Summit, FMC Field Development Representative Scott Swanson talked about how FMC coordinates local and global research projects to develop new chemistries for specific grower issues. “It really opens up the opportunity to develop certain chemistries,” said Swanson. “We have opportunities in Asia, Latin America and all across the globe.”

Swanson provides more information in this interview which you can watch below or listen to here: IFAJ/AMS19 Interview with Scott Swanson, FMC


2019 AMS/IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, FMC, Video

Wyffels Aims to Serve Those Who Served

Carrie Muehling

A new program from Wyffels Hybrids gives farmers an opportunity to support America’s military veterans.

The program, launched in July 2019, is called Serving Those Who Served. For the 2020-21 growing season, the initiative will benefit Homes For Our Troops. For every bag of W5086RIB sold, Wyffels Hybrids will donate $2 back to the Homes For Our Troops program. In addition, hats and t-shirts are also available, with proceeds benefiting the program.

“Wyffels Hybrids’ mission is to relentlessly work together, serving corn growers in pursuit of a more productive and profitable crop,” said Jill Loehr, Wyffels communications manager. “That’s something that Bill, Sr. started when he started the company 70-plus years ago, and that’s something that the Wyffels family still believes strongly today as the third generation takes over.”

Wyffels shared the new program at the 2019 Ag Media Summit in Minneapolis and will continue to promote it at the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur. For more information or to buy merchandise, visit www.wyffels.com/stws.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jill here: Interview with Jill Loehr, Wyffels Hybrids

2019 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Corn