Animal Ag Bites 5/6

Carrie Muehling

  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the availability of a new web-based tool – developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin – to help dairy producers evaluate various scenarios using different coverage levels through the new Dairy Margin Coverage program.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed the introduction of S. 1255, the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act, legislation in the U.S. Senate aimed at reforming federal Hours of Service rules in a way that ensures animal welfare, highway safety, and the well-being of livestock haulers.
  • The National Pork Board is accepting applications through May 22 for the Agricultural Marketing Fellowship. Students who are accepted for full-time enrollment in a graduate/professional school program for the 2019-2020 academic year are encouraged to apply.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

U.S. Grains Council Board Names Next President And CEO

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Director in Mexico Ryan LeGrand has been named as its next president and chief executive officer, effective next month.

LeGrand joined the organization in Mexico in 2015 and has served as the director of the Council’s Mexico City office since 2016. In this capacity, he has overseen the expansion of the Council’s programming in that country to include ethanol promotion and worked to steady relations with the U.S. and Mexican feed and livestock industries during the negotiations of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“I am honored to have been selected for this role at the Council and look forward to expanding trade opportunities for the grain, ethanol and related products we promote around the world,” LeGrand said. “The American farmer works extremely hard each year to produce quality crops, and I look forward to working with our members and staff to continue our mission of opening, maintaining and defending foreign markets.”

During his tenure with the Council in Mexico, LeGrand has also led efforts for U.S. grains including increasing U.S. DDGS demand, cultivating both large and small craft brewers to purchase more U.S. barley and encouraging sorghum use by Mexican livestock producers.

LeGrand previously worked for Gavilon as the director of ingredients in Mexico, located in Guadalajara, managing the company’s feed ingredients trading, import and distribution throughout the country. LeGrand also served as the director of exports for Hawkeye Gold, LLC, exporting DDGS to Latin America and Asia. Early in his career, he worked a year in the Council’s Washington office as a manager of international operations.

LeGrand holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in international business.

Listen to this interview with LeGrand from the 2016 Export Exchange in Detroit

Sharing the Benefits of #Ethanol with Mexico –
Interview with Ryan LaGrande, USGC

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Exports, Grains, USGC

Zimfo Bytes 5/3

Carrie Muehling

  • Four American Agri-Women members have successfully completed the 2019 Syngenta Leadership At Its Best professional development program, which helps U.S. agriculture leaders become more effective advocates for American agriculture. The latest AAW graduates include: Lisa Nicholas, Kansas; Sharron Zoller, California; Jeanette Lombardo, current AAW President, California; Renee Avilla, California.
  • A new food waste “Ag Mag” developed by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is available for purchase in classroom sets of 30.
  • The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced participants selected for Kansas City, Kansas, and Syracuse, New York, On the Farm STEM professional development events. The training is designed to bring science to life for participants with the help of American beef cattle ranchers, researchers, nutritionists and veterinarians. Nearly 550 applications were received for a total of 60 spots.
  • A strong majority of farmers and farmworkers say financial issues, farm or business problems and fear of losing the farm impact farmers’ mental health, according to a new national Morning Consult research poll. Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation in recognition of May as Mental Health Month, the poll surveyed rural adults and farmers/farmworkers to better understand factors affecting the mental health of farmers, availability of resources, perceptions of stigma, personal experiences with mental health challenges and other relevant issues.
  • Andrew Jerome is joining Michael Torrey Associates in Washington, D.C. Jerome has been communications director for the National Farmers Union since 2014.
  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue unveiled a groundbreaking report, A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies. The report finds that deployment of both broadband e-Connectivity and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technology on farms and ranches throughout the U.S. could result in at least $47 billion in national economic benefits every year.
  • Verne Sheppard, a 57-year member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, passed away Friday, April 26, 2019, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Verne served as NAFB North Central Vice President in 1971 and 1972 and remained active on the air through the mid-’90s.
  • Semcon has initiated a multi-year partnership with leading agricultural equipment manufacturer, AGCO. The agreement means that Semcon will be responsible for the development and production of AGCO’s aftermarket information.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center launched online registrations for its 12th annual Conservation in Action Tour, which will explore conservation systems in central Iowa. Online registration for the tour is quick and easy at https://www.ctic.org/cia_tour/registration.
  • The Ag Relations Council (ARC) Annual Meeting registration is open and the Golden ARC Awards deadline is fast approaching. Register here.
Zimfo Bytes

Nebraska Strong Working to Rebuild

Cindy Zimmerman

It was ironic that the Water for Food Conference this week was held in a state that is still drowning in water from the disastrous weather events in March.

Nebraska Farm Bureau president Steve Nelson gave an update on the situation at the conference. He says damage is estimated at about $1.4 billion – including crop land and livestock losses at about $400 million. But that does not include many costs such as clearing land, “in some cases there’s sand and sediment washed up from the streams into farm fields that are in the one to five feet deep range.”

Nebraska Farm Bureau immediately set up a Disaster Relief Fund to provide emergency aid to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities and have helped many but in addition to the material losses, which in some cases are entire livelihoods, “there is a significant personal toll as well.”

Learn more in Nelson’s presentation “Nebraska Strong: Rebuilding after Historic Flood”
WFF19 Presentation by Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau

More photos and audio from the conference can be found on AgNewsWire
2019 Water for Food Global Conference virtual newsroom

Audio, Water, Water for Food, Weather

Irrigation Innovation Critical to Water for Food

Cindy Zimmerman

LtoR: Aric Olson, Jain; Deborah Hamlin and Brent Mecham, Irrigation Association

Innovation in irrigation is critical for the future of water for a hungry world and the irrigation industry was happy to play a role in the 2019 Water for Food Global Conference this week in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“This one conference brings all the top agriculture folks together,” said Irrigation Association CEO Deborah Hamlin. “This whole conference and Daugherty Institute was formed with the funding of a center pivot company originally.” Hamlin was one of the first presenters of the conference on “How the Irrigation Industry is Driving the Future through Efficient Technologies.”

Aric Olson is president of Jain Irrigation, a multi-national drip irrigation company actively involved in the newly formed Irrigation Innovation Consortium which met during the conference. “You could really see the group coming together, talking about the new technologies and making sure all the stakeholders are focused on getting more crop per crop,” he said.

Brent Mecham, Industry Development Director with the Irrigation Association, says precision is key to getting more crop per drop. “Putting the water only where it is absolutely needed takes a lot of expertise, so timing becomes really critical,” said Mecham, who adds that healthy soil plays a major role as well.

Listen to an interview with these three irrigation experts, as well as Hamllin’s presentation, below.

Interview with irrigation industry representatives

Presentation by Deborah Hamlin, Irrigation Association

More photos and audio from the conference can be found on AgNewsWire
2019 Water for Food Global Conference virtual newsroom

AgWired Precision, Audio, Irrigation, Water, Water for Food

Precision Ag Bytes 5/1

Carrie Muehling

  • Register now for the Soil Health Institute’s 4th Annual Meeting scheduled for July 16-18 in Sacramento, California.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center welcomes its new Executive Director, Mike Komp.
  • Ceres Imaging announced an expanded platform partnership agreement with The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Bayer, to further integrate the Ceres aerial imaging solution with the Climate FieldView™ platform, the industry’s leading digital agriculture platform.
  • Syngenta and The Nature Conservancy announced a new Innovation for Nature collaboration to promote soil health, resource efficiency and habitat protection in major agricultural regions worldwide.
  • The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the International Food Information Council Foundation have launched an updated version of “Bringing Biotechnology to Life.” This free educational resource for educators follows the principles of project-based learning to teach about plant biotechnology and its role in food production through eight sequential lessons and a culminating research and public presentation module.
  • PlantResponse™ Biotech, Inc. announces the recent hiring of Dr. Patrick Doyle to its growing North American team. Doyle will lead as the Product Development Director and will work from the PlantResponse Biotech U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park.
  • FMC has issued a 2(ee) label for tar spot control in corn (field, seed and popcorn) for its new Lucento™ fungicide. Per the 2(ee) label, Lucento fungicide can be applied at the onset of the disease up through the R4 growth stage with a maximum of two applications per year.
  • PrecisionHawk, Inc. announced PrecisionAnalytics Agriculture, an aerial mapping, modeling, and agronomy platform purpose-built for precision agriculture.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

What’s New with Cropstream

Chuck Zimmerman

Cropstream is less than a year old but going strong according to Craig Dick, VP Marketing & Growth. He was one of my Golden ZimmComm Microphone interviews during the Agri-Marketing Conference. We got caught up on how the business is doing.

The mobile messaging network built for agriculture. Cropstream helps growers, advisors, seed dealers, retailers and manufacturers connect with each other and communicate better.

To learn more about what’s new with Cropstream listen to my interview with Craig here: #NAMA19 Interview with Craig Dick, Cropstream

2019 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, NAMA

Groups Submit Comments on E15/RIN Reform Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuel stakeholders want EPA to get rid of the excess baggage and get E15 to the finish line before summer driving season starts.

he comment period on EPA’s proposed rule “Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations” ended Monday with major organizations sending theirs at the end of the day.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they strongly support the proposed regulatory fix would allow year-round sales of E15 in conventional gasoline markets for the first time, but discouraged EPA from finalizing any of the four proposed Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market reforms.

Cooper summarizes RFA’s comments to EPA and talks about what happens next:
Interview with RFA CEO on EPA comments

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “With just over 30 days to go until the start of the 2019 summer driving season, time is of the essence. We encourage EPA to move forward to finalize a rule allowing RVP relief for E15 but to cast aside the unnecessary and harmful proposals to reform the RIN market.”

“Unless the EPA acts quickly, the summer market for E15 will be lost, which means higher fuel prices for consumers and another devastating blow to America’s rural workforce,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We cannot afford to let anything derail this opportunity to help revitalize growth in the heartland, and urge regulators to get this rule over the finish line by June 1, just as President Trump directed.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) also supports EPA’s proposal to provide parity for E15 with standard 10 percent ethanol blends, NCGA cautioned EPA against finalizing proposed Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market rule changes that would be counterproductive to greater biofuels blending supported by the E15 rule.

The National Biodiesel Board also disagreed with EPA’s proposal to modify RIN market regulations without first showing data-based evidence of problems within the RIN market. “The proposed RIN market reforms are unnecessary, as EPA has yet to see data-based evidence of RIN market manipulation. Reforming a system that, while certainly not perfect, is working as intended with no evidence of manipulation has the potential to disrupt and even undermine the system that obligated parties use to demonstrate compliance with the RFS,” NBB writes in the comments.

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

Harden Joins Dairy Management Inc.

Cindy Zimmerman

Former USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden has been named Executive Vice President of Global Environmental Strategy of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI).

Harden will collaborate with DMI and Innovation Center leadership to define an inspiring vision, strategy and plan forward for U.S. dairy’s environmental commitment. She will also provide executive leadership on the Innovation Center’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. The committee convenes the dairy value chain including farmers to identify priorities, goals and metrics, align on best practices, identify gaps in science and innovation, and develop resources and outreach to accelerate adoption and report progress.

Harden most recently served as senior vice president of External Affairs and chief sustainability officer for Corteva Agriscience, an agriculture division of DowDuPont. Before joining DuPont, Harden spent nearly three years as deputy secretary for Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, helping to shape food and agriculture policy.

AgWired Animal, Dairy

Water for Hungry World Important for Bayer

Cindy Zimmerman

Bayer is the gold sponsor at this week’s 2019 Water for Food Global Conference “Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security.”

“We believe that innovation, technology, digital tools and partnerships are critical to address the complexity (of water and agriculture issues),” said Bayer Director of Collaborations for Developing Countries Mark Edge.

Edge presented “Sustainable Solutions for Water & Food Security – Business Perspectives” at the opening of the conference Monday. Listen to his remarks and brief interview here:

Presentation by Mark Edge, Bayer

Interview with Mark Edge, Bayer, support of the work of the Institute:
Interview with Mark Edge, Bayer

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM
All the plenary sessions in the auditorium will be steamed live and other sessions will be video recorded and posted on YouTube following the event. The full agenda is available online.

You can find conference photos here: 2019 Water for Food Global Conference

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Water, Water for Food