2025 Tech Hub Live

NAFB Post Election Panel Urges Farm Bill in Lame Duck

Cindy Zimmerman

During a post-election newsmakers panel at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting Wednesday, representatives from National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association all agreed that Congress should work to pass a farm bill during the lame duck session.

“If we say that the Farm Bill is toast and it doesn’t stand a chance, that pretty much guarantees that’s going to be the outcome,” said NFU president Rob Larew. “The agenda that we’ll be talking about right next year is going to be crazy busy…where there isn’t going to be much desire for talk about beefing up the safety net, I just think this is our best opportunity right now in this lame duck.”

AFBF Vice President for Public Policy Sam Kieffer agreed 100 percent. “We’ve got an opportunity, I think, to continue to convey from rural America, from all across the country, that not only is there an opportunity, there’s a need to get it done in ’24.”

“I am in complete agreement with both of these guys on on that topic,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “This team has things to do and doing the farm bill starting from scratch is not one of them, nor should it be,” said Lane. “I think that the Dems are going to get a lot more reasonable about some of the SNAP provisions…this is a fair farm bill, this is a good farm bill and ag groups like it. It is time to get it passed. Clear the decks and and start fresh the next month.”

Of course they talked about a lot more on the panel, which also included former NCGA CEO Jon Doggett, Camas Creek LLC; and previous Senate Ag Committee economist John Newton, now with Terrain.
NAFB Post Election panel (59:49)

AFBF, Audio, NAFB, NCBA

AgGateway Award Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

The AgGateway Annual Conference wrapped up Wednesday in Austin after recognizing some of the members who help make this organization successful in its goals.

President’s Award – Theresa Fitzsimmons, Senior Business Analyst, Bayer US

Launched in 2016, the AgGateway President’s Award is presented to one individual or group that has made consistent and far-reaching positive impacts on organizational achievement over the course of several years.

“It really means a lot for me personally and for Bayer Crop Science. We’ve benefited from the work here at AgGateway for over a decade,” said Fitzsimmons.

AgGateway interview with Theresa Fitzsimmons, Bayer (1:33)

AgGateway in Action Award – U.S. – Zach Leiser, GROWMARK

The AgGateway In Action Awards are designed to recognize some of the hardest-working volunteers in the organization who have driven significant and tangible results over the past year in the organization’s the mission to promote and enable the transition to digital agriculture.

“Being a part of the Field Boundary Working Group has been something I can really sink my teeth into…being able to work collectively to move things forward across the industry is something we’re really excited about,” said Leiser.

AgGateway interview with Zach Leiser, GROWMARK (1:16)

Ron Storms Leadership Award – Kelly Nelson, FarmBelt North

The Ron Storms Leadership Award was created in 2004 to honor one of the early leaders and proponents of electronic connectivity in agriculture and to recognize consistent, outstanding efforts by an AgGateway volunteer member in promoting collaboration among AgGateway teams and advancing initiatives in digital agriculture. “It’s a team effort and I’m humbled to receive this award,” said Nelson, who is part of the AgGateway Digital Resource Center (DRC) team that publishes and maintains AgGateway’s digital resources, in close coordination with the Portfolio Management Center.

AgGateway interview with Kelly Nelson, FarmBelt North (:55)

Ron Farrell Attitude Award – Stuart Rhea, Endless Wonder Consulting

Ron Farrell, who passed away in 2020, was a founder of AgGateway, and for nearly two decades was a catalyst for the connectivity and interoperability initiatives the organization has enabled throughout its history. The Ron Farrell Attitude Award was launched in 2023 to recognize volunteers who make it their personal responsibility to make a difference in the industry. Rhea, who was honored last year with the Ron Storms award, was blown away to be chosen for this honor this year.

“I love what AgGateway is about, I love what they’re trying to accomplish,” said Rhea, who worked for Syngenta until the end of last year but has continued his work in the organization while starting a consulting business.

AgGateway interview with Stuart Rhea, Endless Wonder Consulting (1:23)

2024 AgGateway Annual Conference Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture

Pivot Bio Launches Weekly ‘N-SIGHTS from the Farm’

Cindy Zimmerman

Pivot Bio has introduced a new vidcast for farmers to explore yield data, track nitrogen efficiency metrics, and hear directly from other farmers who are incorporating this advanced nitrogen solution into their operations.

“N-SIGHTS from the Farm” is a digital hub providing real-time harvest data and weekly agronomic insights that showcase how Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 is performing in corn fields across the United States.

The vidcast is being co-hosted by Ryan Van Roekel, Ph.D., senior manager of commercial agronomy at Pivot Bio.

“Farmers know that nitrogen isn’t simple,” Van Roekel said. “The N-SIGHTS platform gives them harvest data and agronomic insights to understand how PROVEN® 40 is working in real-world conditions. With the “N-SIGHTS from the Farm” vidcast and digital hub, we’re bringing them data from their regions and sharing insights on how their peers are using PROVEN® 40.”

The vidcast will deliver weekly internet shows that feature agronomists and innovative farmers who are benefiting from PROVEN® 40. The first four episodes are already available:
· Episode 1: Wet Fields, Big Yields
· Episode 2: Growing by the Bushel. Delivering by the Ton
· Episode 3: A New Mode of Nitrogen: Where Science Meets Soil
· Episode 4: The N Factor: How Agronomists Evaluate Nitrogen Programs

The website features an interactive map that allows farmers to obtain national and state-specific data on yield, nitrogen replacement, nitrogen advantage and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). After selecting their states, farmers can download comprehensive reports detailing PROVEN® 40 performance. Data will be updated as new information becomes available.

Visit PivotsProvenIt.com.

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management, Nutrition, Precision Agriculture

AgGateway Welcomes 10 Students to Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

AgGateway’s 2024 Gateway to Ag Careers Program is pleased to welcome ten college students to the Annual Conference this week in Austin, TX.

Supported by AgCIO Roundtable, the Premier Sponsor, with additional support from Syngenta, the Gateway to Ag Careers program offers students the opportunity to attend learning sessions and network with attendees at the AgGateway Annual Conference while making valuable contacts with agriculture industry leaders. This year’s program drew a record number of applications for the award.

The ten recipients represent five different academic institutions from across the country.

Elicia Baranowski Iowa State University
Kayley Clark Iowa State University
Oluwabukola Emi-Johnson Wake Forest University
Seth Givens Mississippi State University
Elijah Gregory Mississippi State University
Mason Greseth University of Minnesota
Sidrah Khan Arizona State University
Brandt Kringlie University of Minnesota
Logan Schaaf University of Minnesota
Jessica Timmons Arizona State University

At the conference this week the students made individual presentations at a special session to share their work, ambitions, and interests in the agriculture industry, and they also had a chance to share a brief bit about themselves in a Golden Mic interview. Listen and learn more about them.

Interview with Gateway to Ag Careers Program students
AgGateway Ag Careers Program students (10:20)

2024 AgGateway Annual Conference Photo Album

AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture, regenerative ag, Syngenta

Karen Oerter is New AgGateway Chair

Cindy Zimmerman

New AgGateway chair Karen Oerter receives gavel from outgoing chair Scott Charbo

The new chair of the AgGateway Board of Directors is Karen Oerter, who leads the IT group at Winfield United, a brand of Land O’ Lakes Inc. She takes over the leadership role from Scott Charbo of Nutrien.

Oerter was appointed to the board in 2022 when Jeremy Wilson vacated the board position to join AgGateway staff. She is excited about the future of AgGateway.

“We’re in a continuum of a growth mode, trying to be more global and spread across the ag industry,” said Oerter in an interview at the AgGateway conference this week in Austin. “And just continuing to get more membership across, you know more organizations, whether it be government organizations, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and then some of the allied suppliers that are also interested, they see an opportunity to help the agriculture industry and then also internationally.”

Listen to Oerter’s interview here:
AgGateway Chair Karen Oerter, Winfield United (6:10)

2024 AgGateway Annual Conference Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, data

AgGateway Meeting in Austin

Chuck Zimmerman

Brent Kemp, CEO, AgGateway AgGateway’s North America Annual Meeting and Conference is underway this week in Austin with more than 150 attendees networking and discoursing on one of agriculture’s most pressing needs to make sustainability, carbon sequestration, and other smart agriculture initiatives possible – accurate, verifiable, and interoperable data.

AgGateway CEO Brent Kemp opened the conference Monday with his annual report on the growth of the organization. “Our current membership is 218 with 16 new members this year. We’ve managed stable to slightly upward trends in membership in the face of consolidation industry headwinds and companies leaving the industry altogether,” said Kemp. “Over the course of the year, we commissioned six new working groups. We have a a goal each year to commission about five, so we’re ahead of that.”

Kemp noted that AgGateway is in the final year of its five year strategic plan. “As you recall, the watchwords for that are create, engage and grow and we have annual objectives that build on each of those themes,” said Kemp. “We’re starting the process to build the next five year plan today. Not today, but just in general. The Board of Directors has actually begun the planning process at its June meeting and we are in the second face to face meeting with that group this week….We’re not going to be coming out of the meeting this week with a fully fledged strategic plan that we can share with you, but we will have that plan ready to share by the mid year meeting of 2025.”

Listen to Kemp’s full report here:
Brent Kemp, AgGateway CEO, Report (18:35)

2024 AgGateway Annual Conference Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture

Yara North America Launches YaraAmplix Biostimulant

Cindy Zimmerman

Yara North America announces the launch of the YaraAmplix™ biostimulant portfolio in the United States and Canada, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to advancing a sustainable, resilient food system.

The YaraAmplix portfolio is designed to enhance crop resilience, nutrient uptake, and overall crop quality while promoting healthier soils and better adaptability to environmental stressors.

The YaraAmplix portfolio is distinguished by its unique formulation process and incorporating natural ingredients carefully sourced and extensively tested. Several products within the portfolio feature patented or patent-pending formulations, showcasing Yara’s commitment to innovation and quality. Each product has undergone stringent validation through trials on essential crops worldwide and across North America. From raw ingredient screening to lab, greenhouse, and field testing, Yara’s focus on quality ensures that YaraAmplix consistently meets the highest standards. One of the first featured products that Yara is bringing to customers is YaraAmplix PROCOTE OPTIMIZE™, which leverages Yara’s revolutionary coating technology. With PROCOTE OPTIMIZE™, retailers coat growers’ dry fertilizer with biostimulants, ensuring even distribution to every plant and supporting increased nutrient uptake for improved establishment, plant vigor and root development.

In addition, Yara is expanding its manufacturing and formulation capabilities with a new state-of-the-art facility dedicated to fostering breakthroughs in biostimulant technology to meet global demands.

For more information about Yara and the YaraAmplix portfolio, visit Yara.us or YaraCanada.ca.

AgWired Precision, Biologicals, Precision Agriculture, Soil, Sustainability

Animal Ag News 11/11

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) will accept nominations and applications for the fourth Cohort of the Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders through November 17. The leadership program blends in-person and virtual working sessions to focus on four areas of development: critical thinking, leadership development, connecting and relating skills, and operational excellence. Members of the program work together on applied-learning, small-group capstone projects, which will incorporate topics of interest in animal agriculture.
  • Changing consumer preferences suggest whole turkeys may be losing their grip as the dominant center-of-plate choice for Thanksgiving dinner. While ample turkey supplies and favorable prices leading into the holiday season indicate turkey will retain its position as the traditional protein of choice this Thanksgiving, consumer trends are making the future less certain. Growing demand for convenience, longer-term pressure on turkey supplies and increasing competition from beef and pork marketers may all impact the longevity of the holiday turkey. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, a downward trend in U.S. turkey supplies, coupled with changing traditions and consumer openness to other animal protein options could trigger a longer-term decline in holiday turkey sales.
  • Four finalists have been selected in the 12th annual National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is inviting the public to vote for the winner through Nov. 15. Videos of the finalists are available for viewing and voting at convention.ncba.org. The public can vote once per day per person through Nov. 15, and the winner will be announced Nov. 21.
  • The Public Lands Council (PLC) has released a new version of their website to further promote public lands ranchers and the issues they face every day as they effectively manage millions of acres of grazing land in the West.
  • Preliminary analysis of corn silage samples in the U.S. reveals a high increase in mycotoxin contamination compared to 2023, with all samples containing two or more mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are produced by certain species of molds and are a concern for livestock producers as they can influence feed quality and subsequent animal health and performance. The Alltech 2024 U.S. Harvest Analysis uncovers the true threat mycotoxins pose to animals and producers.
  • Registration is now open for the Dairy Business Association’s 2025 Dairy Strong conference, happening in Green Bay on Jan. 15-16 at the KI Convention Center.
  • Dairy Management Inc. has posted its 2023 annual report. The report provides checkoff funders and other members of the dairy community an audited financial report and highlights from 2023.
  • Ralco is proud to announce the acquisition of Sow Magic, a pioneering product developed to address the pressing issue of sow mortality, from O’Bryan Farms in Owensboro, Kentucky. By combining natural ingredients with proven science, Sow Magic provides an innovative solution to improve sow health and performance.
  • Legacy Feed, a feed manufacturing and swine management company, has begun operations of its east central Indiana feed mill, servicing deliveries within 70 miles of Millville, Indiana in Henry County. Legacy Feed was created in 2022 as a partnership between Signature Farms, LP and Keystone Cooperative.
  • Rendering professionals from around the country recently gathered in Nashville, Tenn., for USPOULTRY’s 2024 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar. Presentations were offered on an array of topics including leadership, wastewater treatment and attracting young talent to the rendering industry.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 11/8

    Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Members of this Committee advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing and content of periodic agricultural censuses, as well as surveys of agriculture and other related industries. The committee also makes recommendations on the content of agricultural reports and represents the views and data needs of suppliers and users of agricultural statistics.
  • The U.S. agriculture workforce is vital to making our food system consistent, cost-efficient, and reliable. However, as costs skyrocket and the number of laborers willing to take on the challenges of farm work rapidly decreases, many producers fear that the lack of a reliable workforce will bring about the end of their operations. For the United States to remain competitive in producing fruit, vegetables, and other labor-intensive commodities, both private and government institutions must accelerate their adaptation to the evolving landscape of farm labor. Farm Foundation will host its next virtual Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor on Tuesday, November 19, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central. The Forum will highlight some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce.
  • The call for nominations for the 2025 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellowship is now open. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research. Nominations will be accepted through November 18, 2024. Now in its fifth year, the Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
  • In 2023, crop insurance protected more than 540.6 million acres of farm and ranchland across the country. That is more land than the gross area of the entire United States in 1788 when the famous Founding Father first had his big idea to help farmers manage their risks. Added coverage for America’s ranchers and improvements for specialty crop growers through Whole Farm Revenue Protection and other crop-specific insurance products account for much of the additional acreage. Congress can continue to make progress by passing a new Farm Bill that further strengthens the public-private crop insurance system.
  • After nearly a decade leading the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, Peter McCornick announced he will step down as executive director in August 2025. He plans to transition to a full-time faculty role in UNL’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) recently announced the addition of Lisa Stafl as the association’s first in-house General Counsel.
  • In honor of those who served, Kubota Tractor Corporation announced a new partnership with Boot Campaign to support the organization’s work to restore the lives of veterans and military families through individualized, life-improving care. The company kicks off its program with Boot Campaign on Veterans Day with a series of activities that run through Military Appreciation Month in May of 2025.
  • A newly established award recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Col. Joe Ricker of Indiana is the first recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit.
  • Meyocks, a leading branding and marketing agency, announced the appointment of two new vice presidents of creative to its leadership team: Chad Baker and Johnny Mackin. Together, Baker and Mackin bring a combined 60 years of industry experience.
  • The 2024-25 National FFA Officer Team was elected during the final session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. Students from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, California, Georgia and Wisconsin were elected by National FFA Delegates to serve as 2024-25 National FFA Officers. They will lead the organization for the next year.
  • VANE, a leading provider of specialty agricultural insurance, is expanding its agricultural risk management portfolio to offer insurance coverage for agricultural financing and lending institutions.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Golden Harvest Golden Advantage Offers 0% Extended Terms

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Heather Volpe at 2024 Farm Progress Show

    As farmers continue to be faced with challenging financial pressures heading into the next production season, Golden Harvest is pleased to offer 0% extended terms on Golden Harvest® corn and soybean seed and qualified Syngenta Seedcare products through Golden Advantage℠.

    Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest marketing manager, says Golden Advantage reinforces their commitment to farmers, providing a financial edge as they begin planning for the new season. “And it’s a little bit different than a traditional loan. So farmers can still use their other credit lines for other farm inputs and utilize our 0% extended terms for the Golden Harvest corn and soybeans.”

    Applications for use in the 2025 planting season must be submitted by May 2, 2025. Payment for Golden Harvest seed and Syngenta Seedcare products purchased for the 2024-2025 season is due in full on or before December 5, 2025.

    Both seed and qualified seed treatment can be applied to a Golden Advantage account. Seed treatment applied by a local Seed Advisor downstream can also be applied to a Golden Advantage account.

    Learn more in this interview with Volpe from the 2024 Farm Progress Show
    FPS24 - Interview with Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest 2:21

    Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Golden Harvest, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta