Conference This Week on Water for a Hungry World

Cindy Zimmerman

The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) kicks off the 2019 Water for Food Global Conference today in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The conference will convene leading international experts and organizations to discuss “Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security,” focusing on the next generation of research, smart technology, policy development and best practices that are achieving breakthroughs in this vitally important mission. The conference headlines a week of water and food security-related presentations, side events, networking opportunities and tours.

The conference includes farmers and agriculturalists from around the world and DWFI Executive director Peter McCornick says innovation is the key word when it comes to feeding a hungry world using less water resources. “Innovations in technology, innovations in practice, and innovation around policy,” said McCornick.

McCornick talks more about the conference and the work of the institute in this interview: Interview with Peter McCornick, DWFI executive director

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 Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Water, Water for Food

Animal Ag Bites 4/29

Carrie Muehling

  • WATT Global Media has announced agenda and speaker details for the 2019 Chicken Marketing Summit. This annual executive conference is scheduled for July 21-23, 2019 at the Belmond Charleston Place in Charleston, South Carolina.
  • The Milk Hall of Fame announces the 2020 USA and International Spokesmodel video and photo auditions have begun. This year, the Milk Hall of Fame will be accepting video and photo submissions from the six billion milk and dairy fans around the world in their own native language!
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Public Lands Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, and Society for Range Management announced support for a proposal to reduce wild horse and burro populations on western rangelands.
  • Registration is now open to cattle producers for four events on the Stockmanship & Stewardship Regional Tour, with the next stop in Ames, Iowa. Events will also be held in Colorado, Kansas and Louisiana.
  • Wyatt Smith was recently named a Vita Plus dairy specialist. Smith’s primary responsibilities will be to provide dairy producers in northwest Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota with feed, nutritional, and management expertise for every area of the dairy farm.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Zimfo Bytes 4/26

Carrie Muehling

  • Farm Foundation will host a trade conference, titled Agricultural Trade in a Time of Uncertainty, on April 30. The conference, the first hosted by Farm Foundation’s Food and Agricultural Trade Resource Center, is at the DoubleTree Hotel, Arlington, VA. Registration is open for the conference and can be completed online.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation recently selected an outstanding group of young farmer and rancher leaders as the organization’s 10th Partners in Advocacy Leadership class. Members of PAL Class 10 are: Erika Archie, Texas; David Hafner, Florida; James Henderson, Colorado; Beth Hodge, New Hampshire; Jenny Holtermann, California; Sarah Ison, Ohio; Bryan Jones, Florida; Matthew McClanahan, Tennessee; Derek Orth, Wisconsin; and Kyle Wilson, Utah.
  • Nufarm is pleased to announce the hiring of Chris Bowley as customer and brand marketing manager for the crop protection company’s broadacre products.
  • FLM Harvest announces a partnership with The North Hill Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in market access, government and regulatory affairs, to offer combined services to clients in the agriculture and food sectors.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center welcomes its new Executive Director, Mike Komp.
  • Matt Lurkins is joining the GROWMARK Grain Division as Executive Director.
  • 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.
Zimfo Bytes

New Agriblogs and Farm Podcasts

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmComm has been Agriblogging and FarmPodcasting for 15 years now. AgWired was actually the first blog, and the ZimmCast was the first podcast, that focused on agricultural business and marketing. So, it’s always great to see those communications platforms continue to grow.

A new addition to the farm podcasting family this week is Groundwork from Farm Policy Facts, which debuted April 22. The monthly show will focus on a range of policy issues that are important to American farmers in upcoming episodes. The first episode features two sugar farmers who traveled to Washington last month to make the case for smart farm policies.

Another new podcast coming soon will bring together two Midwestern row-crop farmers to host honest conversations about sustainable agriculture, what works and what doesn’t. Field Work will feature farmers and other guests from across the agriculture industry every week, beginning with the May 1 premiere episode.

Field Work’s hosts are Zach Johnson, a fifth-generation family farmer from central Minnesota known to more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers as the “MN Millennial Farmer” on his channel that chronicles daily experiences on the farm, and Mitchell Hora, a farmer and young entrepreneur from Washington, Iowa who owns a consulting company focused on soil health and hosts a podcast with the same focus.

In the agriblogging category, the Farm Foundation Food and Agricultural Trade Resource Center has launched a blog to generate additional opportunities to discuss challenges and opportunities in agricultural trade. Launch of the blog comes just as the Trade Resource Center is about to host its first trade conference, April 30 at the DoubleTree Hotel Crystal City, Arlington, VA.

“The U.S. agricultural sector can’t afford to take its eyes off trade,” says Darci Vetter, General Manager for Public Affairs at Edelman, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator with the U.S. Trade Representative and a member of the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. Vetter is the author of the latest post on the Trade Resource Center Blog, and a member of the Resource Center’s Advisory Committee.

Farm Policy, Podcasts

Senator Says Trade is Top Concern in Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Kinze Manufacturing, for a town hall meeting in Williamsburg, IA Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Iowa equipment manufacturers, farmers, small business owners, and others impacted by tariffs.

The conversation included the impact of steel and aluminum tariffs on Iowa businesses and the state’s economy, as well as the impact of tariffs on China and retaliatory tariffs that have been levied on almost all U.S. agricultural food exports. “The best thing that we can do right now is simply just make sure that we’re getting these trade deals done, make sure those tariffs are coming off, that is the best way to keep our farmers in business,” said Sen. Ernst.

Listen to the Senator’s comments at the event here:
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst at AEM town hall

AEM, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio

2019 Can-Am Defender Ag Sales Event

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey farmers and ranchers, Can-Am is offering approved ag businesses a rebate worth up to $1,500 on select 2019 Can-Am Defender models. The program runs from now until June 30, 2019. Here’s some more information.

Built for a hard day’s work, the Can-Am Defender lineup includes a wide range of packages and engine options to fit the unique needs of workers everywhere. Defender side-by-side vehicles can tow up to 2,500 lbs. They can also handle up to 1,000 lbs in the innovative cargo box, which features cut-outs in the bed for five-gallon buckets to stay in place while driving, anchor points, and a large, easy to use, tailgate.

Farmers and ranchers can make work easier and more comfortable with the wide range of accessories available straight from the factory. Accessories offered by Can-Am include windshields, heaters, bed toolbox, tool holders, additional lighting, snow plows, track kits, and a variety of racks for more organized storage.

Click here to learn more about the U.S.A. Ag Sales Event.

For more information on all Can-Am vehicles, visit www.can-am.brp.com.

Having used these vehicles I can personally attest to their ruggedness and value in the situations you might need them for. I have had the opportunity to test drive them for deer hunting the last two seasons.

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Can-Am, Farming

Passing of Dr. Aoife Lyons

Cindy Zimmerman

Dr. Aoife Lyons dances with her father Dr. Pearse Lyons at 2017 Alltech ONE

The ALL in Alltech has gone to join her father in heaven.

The Lyons family and Alltech announced today the passing of Dr. Aoife Louise Lyons on April 18.

Born on Aug. 1, 1973, in Ireland, she was the daughter of Alltech’s co-founders Dr. Pearse Lyons and Mrs. Deirdre Lyons, the sister of Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech’s president and CEO, and sister-in-law of Mark’s wife, Holly. Aoife was an integral part of Alltech from its very founding in 1980. The “All” in “Alltech” represents her initials — Aoife Louise Lyons.

Aoife was Alltech’s director of educational initiatives and engagement and was instrumental in fostering educational opportunities both within Alltech and in local communities around the world, including the prestigious Alltech Young Scientist competition, the world’s largest agriscience competition for university students. She created the company’s Career Development Program, a highly selective global recruitment and training initiative, and was beloved by these new Alltech team members as their mentor, “Dr. Aoife.”

Aoife, which is pronounced EE-fah, means “beauty” from the Gaelic word aoibh. In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. She will be greatly missed by many, including us here at ZimmComm who enjoyed seeing her each year at the Alltech annual conference.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

AgWired Animal, Alltech

Precision Ag Bytes 4/24

Carrie Muehling

  • The InfoAg International Conference & Exhibition has announced keynote speakers for this year’s event. Register before June 14 to receive the early bird discount.
  • NCGA attended the Coalition for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Spring 2019 meeting in Sacramento, California. The multi-stakeholder coalition sees agricultural lands as playing a key role in building sustainable agriculture and reducing greenhouse gas emission.
  • Ag Leader has introduced several new tools to its full-farm connectivity platform, AgFiniti.
  • Though phosphorus is an essential nutrient necessary for optimal plant growth and yields, research shows that more than 50 percent of production acres are phosphorus deficient. To find better ways to fully utilize phosphorus, West Central Distribution launched the Phosphorus Project in 2018.
  • As planting season begins across the country, the American Seed Trade Association reminds farmers to follow the basic steps for stewardship of treated seed. For more information, visit seed-treatment-guide.com.
  • AgLaunch Initiative has been named one of seven new Small Business Administration’s Regional Innovation Clusters, a program built to strengthen opportunities for small businesses within a region focused on a specific industry vertical.
  • As the global market demand for almonds continues to increase exponentially, one of the greatest threats to crops is navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella. The addition of a bioinsecticide from Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. to the May and hull split conventional spray programs decreased total nut damage by an additional two percent in extensive 2018 field trials. The addition of Venerate® XC delivered a six-to-one return on investment for growers, while multiple trials show that Venerate® XC added to a conventional spray program improved total performance by 33 percent based on damage reduction and number of eggs and pests present.
  • The Soil Health Partnership is launching the Soil Session webinar series to provide updates on SHP’s various programs and research findings. Register here.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier Announces Retirement Plans

Cindy Zimmerman

After 34 years with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the past four as CEO, Kendal Frazier has announced his plans for retirement.

“I’m a lucky man to have worked in the cattle industry; what a wonderful journey this has been,” said Frazier in making the announcement. “It has been an honor to serve the men and women who make their living in the cattle business. I am confident that I’m leaving NCBA in a good place.”

NCBA will begin the search process to select a new CEO immediately, and Frazier will remain in place to assist with the transition process, until Dec. 31.

Frazier’s career began as a farm broadcaster in Kansas, where he also served as director of communications for Kansas Livestock Association, before moving to Denver, Colo., to join the staff of the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA), predecessor organization to NCBA. During his illustrious career, he served the beef industry through some of its most challenging times and events. When NCA merged with the National Live Stock and Meat Board in 1996, Frazier was a member of the team who worked with staff and beef industry volunteer leaders to address a steep decline in demand, helping to address the consumer concerns which had led to losses in market share and falling prices. This work ultimately helped to reverse those declines and set the industry on a new, consumer-focused path

As CEO, Frazier has kept a sharp focus on the issues that matter most to the members and the industry he represents. He talks about many of those issues and the organization’s long range plan in this interview from the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention.

Interview with Kendal Frazier, CEO, NCBA CattleCon2019 Interview with Kendal Frazier, NCBA CEO

AgWired Animal, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Hoosier Ag Today to Acquire Michigan Ag Information Network

Cindy Zimmerman

Hoosier Ag Today is acquiring the Michigan Ag Information Network (MAIN) and will assume program production and distribution starting May 6. Programs will continue to be referred to as the Michigan Ag Information Network.

Pat Driscoll will remain as a contributor and consultant, providing invaluable direction and insight as the network’s programing and coverage is expanded. Michigan-based content will continue to be a centerpiece of MAIN programs. Terry Henne, farm director of WSGW radio Saginaw, will continue to provide in state reports daily and in the near future, a team of farm broadcasters and sales representatives will be based in Michigan.

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