New NK Seed Selection Tool From Syngenta

Chuck Zimmerman

Syngenta Seeds launched a new NK® seed selection tool at the Farm Progress Show that combines artificial intelligence, two decades of agronomic information and a simple user interface, to provide farmers with data-driven seed recommendations.

The NK® Seed Analyzer allows retailers and farmers to proactively plan for weather volatility, soil variability and planting specifications by seeing actual results from numerous sources.

“While you can never control all the factors that affect a growing season, you can set yourself up for the best chance of success by choosing hybrids that perform well in fields like yours, regardless of the weather,” said Joe Bollman, NK corn product manager. “The NK Seed Analyzer injects some much-needed predictability into a process that otherwise is anything but predictable.”

We talked with Bollman about the new tool at FPS. Listen to the interview here or watch it below: Interview with Joe Bollman, NK corn product manager


Syngenta at the 2019 Farm Progress Show photo album

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Sheep, Syngenta, Technology, Video

Biodiesel Industry Seeking Relief

Cindy Zimmerman

Soybean farmers and biodiesel producers are both being impacted by small refinery exemptions (SREs) and the uncertainty of no biodiesel tax credit yet. Illinois farmer Rob Shaffer, American Soybean Association (ASA) director and chair of the organization’s Biodiesel and Infrastructure Committee, brought up the issue during a Farm Progress Show listening session with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue last week. He also asked about the biodiesel tax credit, which is now lapsed 20 months ago, and got an answer from Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL-18).
Illinois farmer Rob Shaffer at FPS19 Ag Forum

Leaders of both the National Biodiesel Board and ASA have requested a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss small refinery exemptions and the RFS but Shaffer said as of last week they had not heard back on that.

In this interview, Shaffer talks about how biodiesel producers have suffered the greatest impact from the administration’s small refinery exemptions and plants from Pennsylvania to Iowa to Georgia and Texas are closing as a result of demand destruction.
Interview with ASA director Rob Shaffer, Illinois

2019 Farm Progress Show photo album

ASA, Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Soybean

Hemp Industrial Park Debuts at #FPS19

Cindy Zimmerman

Hemp has officially arrived as an agricultural commodity with its inclusion as an exhibit at the 2019 Farm Progress Show.

The Hemp Industrial Park featured hemp company and organization exhibitors, daily educational presentations, and examples of products made from hemp. “It’s been an amazing experience all around,” said Erica Stark, executive director of the National Hemp Association. She says that interest in hemp farming has skyrocketed since it was included in the 2018 Farm Bill. “Our phone literally rings off the hook every day,” Stark said.

Stark says they are not sure what the final acreage numbers will be this year, but they expect it to be at least 200,000 – up from 80,000 last year. Listen to my interview with her here:
Interview with Erica Stark, National Hemp Association

Hemp was also a big topic at the Ag Policy Forum listening session with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and members of the Illinois Congressional delegation. First generation farmer and executive director of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association Rachel Berry asked about encouraging growth of the hemp fiber market, as opposed to the CBD market. “I’m hopeful we can develop a lot of uses for fiber because otherwise the productivity of the American farmer will crash this market for CBD oil before it gets off the ground,” said Perdue.

Listen here:
Sec. Perdue answers hemp questions during Ag Forum

Also in hemp news during the FPS, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced coverage for hemp grown for fiber, flower or seeds, which will be available to producers who are in areas covered by USDA-approved hemp plans or who are part of approved state or university research pilot programs. RMA Administrator Martin Barbre, an Illinois farmer, was at the show the day the announcement was made.

USDA-RMA Administrator Martin Barbre on hemp crop insurance

2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, Farm Progress Show, hemp, USDA

ZimmCast 624 – #FPS19

Cindy Zimmerman

It was a busy Farm Progress Show this year with great weather and lots to talk about. Happy to have a long weekend to recover from our labor!

In this edition of the ZimmCast, you will hear from some of the many voices at #FPS19, including Show Manager Matt Jungmann, BASF External Communications Manager Casey Allen, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, President Donald J. Trump, National Corn Growers Association 1st VP Kevin Ross, and National Hemp Association executive director Erica Stark.

Links to lots more content can be found on the 2019 Farm Progress Show virtual newsroom. Special thanks to Syngenta, GROWMARK, and Bayer for their support in helping us bring you the sights and sounds of #FPS19.

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 624 - #FPS19

2019 Farm Progress Show photo album

Subscribe to the ZimmCast by clicking here.

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, Bayer, Farm Progress Show, GROWMARK, Syngenta, USDA

Deere Board Elects John May as CEO

Cindy Zimmerman

The Deere & Company Board of Directors has elected John C. May as Chief Executive Officer, effective November 4, 2019. May has served as Deere’s President and Chief Operating Officer since April 2019.

Current CEO Samuel R. Allen will continue as chairman of the board of directors after he steps down from the CEO position. May becomes the 10th chief executive in the company’s 182-year history.

The 50-year-old May joined Deere in 1997 and became part of the senior management team in 2012 as President, Agricultural Solutions and Chief Information Officer. Last year, he was named President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, with responsibility for the Americas and Australia, the global harvesting, turf and utility, and crop care platforms, and intelligent-solutions group.

John Deere

Zimfo Bytes 8/30

Carrie Muehling

  • Three Iowa FFA chapters were awarded bragging rights and cash prizes in the Pioneer® brand A-Series Soybeans Big A Challenge. The winning chapters were recognized and their statues displayed prominently at the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. Judges selected Mount Ayr FFA of Mount Ayr, Iowa, as the overall winner of the $2,500 top prize. North Tama FFA of Traer, Iowa, won $1,500 for second place and Wayne FFA of Corydon, Iowa, earned $1,000 for third place. The top three chapters were chosen from 15 finalist chapters in Iowa and Illinois.
  • Three weeks ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stunned the corn industry with news it approved 31 additional small refinery exemptions for big oil companies. This week, National Corn Growers Association President Lynn Chrisp sent a letter to President Trump encouraging him to step in and help out corn farmers that have been affected by this mistake.
  • Robert Coleman has been selected to be the new chief operating officer of the Farm Credit Administration.
  • Artemis announces the Artemis Global Ag Report, which will gather industry insights from growers around challenges and opportunities for the farming industry as in past years; however, this survey is open to all specialty crop cultivators—across international, enterprise, indoor/outdoor, hemp and cannabis operations. The survey is now open for submissions and will close Tuesday, October 15.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    GROWMARK Supply Chain Focused on Efficiency

    Carrie Muehling

    GROWMARK’s Rod Wells (far right) with several State Directors of Agriculture at the 2019 Farm Progress Show.

    The weather challenges many farmers faced over the past year tested the supply chain for companies like GROWMARK, but the regional cooperative was well equipped to help their customers react to changing conditions like river shutdowns, the need for shorter season hybrids in some cases, and crop protection adjustments.

    That’s a benefit of working across all of the company’s various divisions from energy to agronomy to grain with a continued focus on operational efficiency.

    “Given the farm economy and what we’re faced with this year – farm incomes being down – everybody is open at this point, I think, to looking at a better way to do something, again, being responsive to that customer but also being as efficient as you can possibly be doing it because you just can’t afford to have the waste in the system anymore,” said Rod Wells, Executive Director, Enterprise Supply Chain, GROWMARK.

    Wells said he is excited about implementing Lean Six Sigma principles within the cooperative over the coming year, looking at all processes and identifying and removing waste where possible, while still balancing that with responsiveness to the customer. Wells was at the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.

    Listen to Chuck’s interview with Rod here: Interview with Rod Wells, GROWMARK

    2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, GROWMARK

    USDA Secretary Addresses Ag Issues at #FPS19

    Carrie Muehling

    Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue spent a full day at Farm Progress Show in just a few hours. After listening to farmers’ concerns during an Ag Policy Forum across the street, the secretary drove a tractor in the ride and drive, took a call from President Trump during a live show on stage with Max Armstrong, and then answered questions from a few dozen reporters gathered in the BASF Media Tent.

    Listen to the press conference with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue here: FPS19 USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Press Conference

    2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

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    BASF Talks Future of Weed Control

    Carrie Muehling

    BASF hosted a panel discussion on the future of weed control at the 2019 Farm Progress Show. Moderating the conversation was Scott Kay, BASF Vice President of Operations for North America.

    Panelists included Rick Van Genderen, BASF Global Lead for Soybean & Corn Seed & Trait Strategy; Bryan Young, Weed Science Professor at Purdue University; and Brad Wade, Illinois Corn and Soybean Grower.

    Listen to the full panel discussion here:
    BASF Panel Discussion on Weed Control

    Interview with Scott Kay, BASF

    Interview with Rick Van Genderen, BASF

    2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show

    Secretary Perdue at Illinois Ag Policy Forum

    Carrie Muehling

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told those gathered at an ag policy forum during the 2019 Farm Progress Show that he expects President Trump to announce small refinery waiver mitigation efforts soon. Perdue declined to provide further details about the coming announcement.

    Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation including Rep. Rodney Davis, Rep. John Shimkus, Rep. Mike Bost and Rep. Darin LaHood hosted the forum, where they and Secretary Perdue answered questions from farmers and agribusiness leaders on trade and tariffs, biosecurity, renewable fuels and hemp production among other topics.

    Listen to the entire Ag Policy Forum here: FPS19 Ag Policy Forum

    2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

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