John Deere Updates MY20 S700 Series Combines

Carrie Muehling

Updates to John Deere just announced updates to its Model Year 2020 S700 Series combines including improved automation and data management.

Combine Advisor™ and HarvestSmart™ have been updated to further automate these machines. Combine Advisor uses ActiveVision™ cameras and sensors to identify changes in crop conditions and automatically adjust the combine to maintain the operator’s settings for optimal performance in varying conditions. “In addition, the user interface has been improved, simplifying control for the operator,” Matt Badding, harvesting product manager for John Deere, said.

HarvestSmart feedrate control automatically regulates ground speed during harvest and adjusts settings on-the-go while it maintains a consistent crop load and responds to crop variations. It has been updated to enable the combine to run closer to its power limit by analyzing engine power, load and rotor pressure for optimal efficiency.

To improve data quality and management for customers, John Deere replaced the S700 Series Combines’ moisture sensor with a new sensor that enables improved accuracy for higher-quality data owners can use in their management decisions.

For more information about the latest John Deere S700 Series Combine updates, visit JohnDeere.com or see your local dealer.

AgWired Precision, Equipment, John Deere

Alltech Accelerator 6 – SwineTech

Carrie Muehling

An Iowa-based company participating in the Alltech Pearse Lyons Accelerator is working to improve the swine industry, beginning with the farrowing process.

“SwineTech is trying to transform the way we look at farrowing management and how we assist sows in the farrowing house, giving the information that’s needed to provide the very best welfare and support and then the technology and autonomy for us to prevent deaths in real time and not having to rely on a person being there every second of every day,” said Matthew Rooda, CEO of SwineTech.

Rooda explained the company’s ability to monitor wavelengths and frequencies of the sounds made in the farrowing house, mapping those and identifying whether or not a sow might be laying on a piglet. When that happens, a wearable attached to the mother pig can alert her to stand up using a vibration and a safe chiropractic impulse. Rooda said SwineTech products are already protecting more than a million piglets in the industry.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Matthew here: Interview with Matthew Rooda, SwineTech

Alltech Ideas Conference – ONE19 Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Swine

E15 Final Rule: Next Steps

Carrie Muehling

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has removed regulatory barriers allowing access to E15 fuel year-round. Representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association and other industry stakeholders shared information about the future of E15 and what this ruling means for retailers and consumers.

Panelists included: Geoff Cooper, President and CEO, Renewable Fuels Association; Neil Koehler, RFA Board Chairman and CEO of Pacific Ethanol; Steve Walk, Chief Operations Officer, Protec Fuel; and Bryan Stockton, Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Listen to the comments here: E15 Media Call hosted by Renewable Fuels Association

Audio, Ethanol

Alltech Accelerator 5 – SomaDetect

Carrie Muehling

The Alltech Pearse Lyons Accelerator is helping Canadian company SomaDetect to grow and expose its mission to more members of the agriculture industry. SomaDetect CEO Bethany Deshpande said the company is developing a sensor solution for dairy farmers that will measure several components in raw milk.

“Our goal is to help dairy producers have the information they need to make the best possible milk,” said Deshpande. “So it’s all about really empowering them with data and information about what is in the milk produced by their cows so that they can make early decisions on all kinds of factors – things like herd health, reproduction, as well as quality of milk.”

SomaDetect currently has sensors on about 5,000 cows in the pilot stage and hopes to expand that to 25,000 cows by the end of the year.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Bethany here: Interview with Bethany Deshpande, SomaDetect

Alltech Ideas Conference – ONE 19 Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy

Legendary Seedsman Don Funk Relaunches NC+

Cindy Zimmerman

Legendary seedsman Don Funk, founder of Channel Bio Corp, is leading a team to relaunch the NC+ brand to serve western corn, soybean and sorghum growers.

NC+ was started in 1958 as a production and marketing organization for farmers to work together as a group rather than individuals to merchandise and grow seed. The original 56 growers merchandised their seed under the NC+ brand. The NC stood for “Nebraska Certified”.

“We’re re-launching NC+ with a similar spirit to its original founding by always putting focus on the farmer. Over the last several years, we have witnessed the need in the seed industry for putting the customer first. Our aim is to deliver what our customers ask for – high performance seed combined with an unparalleled personal experience,” says Funk.

Veteran seedsman Al Koerperich spearheads a team of entrepreneurs to reintroduce the brand to western geographies. It’s a homecoming for Koerperich, who worked for NC+ over a 20-year span.

“The values we shared then with our customers are the same values we share today,” says Koerperich. “The pursuit of providing great value in everything we do – our product, our service, our customer’s experience – is why we wake up every morning.”

Funk relaunched the Midwest Seed Genetics brand in 2017.

AgWired Precision, Corn, Seed, sorghum, Soybean

Animal Ag Bites 6/3

Carrie Muehling

  • The Center for Dairy Excellence has named Emily Barge as communications and marketing manager to support the work of both the Center and the Center for Dairy Excellence of Pennsylvania. Isaac Clements, a senior at Penn State University, also joined the Center as an education and communications intern.
  • The National Pork Board released its latest findings from the comprehensive Insight to Action research, this time examining trends in consumer behavior related to dining out. The Pork Board’s All About Dining Out: What’s on Trend report uncovers why consumers decide to eat the proteins they do and explores tactics so that foodservice operators can meet those needs, such as exploring new flavors, dishes and menu formats.
  • Instead of using dietary antibiotics to help the piglets cope and avoid illness, scientists with the Agricultural Research Service are now investigating a naturally occurring amino acid known as L-glutamine. The effort, which was supported by the National Pork Board, arose from a need to provide livestock producers with alternatives to using dietary antibiotics as a growth-promoting agent in swine.
  • Hundreds of dedicated members of the U.S. dairy community will gather again Jan. 22-23, 2020, at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, in Madison, Wis., for the sixth annual Dairy Strong conference. Updates and announcements about Dairy Strong can be found at dairystrong.org. Registration will open September 1.
  • Livestock producers now have access to a new yellow-flowered alfalfa variety. Developed by South Dakota State University to thrive in less than optimal conditions, Sholty exhibits high drought tolerance, is winter hardy and, because of its indeterminate growth habit, this new alfalfa is ideal for interseeding into pasture and rangeland.
  • In response to President Trump’s plan to impose five percent tariffs on all Mexican imports as of June 10, 2019, David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a pork producer from Lillington, North Carolina, issued a statement promoting ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, preservation of zero-tariff pork trade in North America for the long term; completion of a trade agreement with Japan; and resolution of the trade dispute with China, where U.S. pork has a historic opportunity to dramatically expand exports given the countries struggle with African swine fever.”
  • The U.S. Court for the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday, May 28, remanded the Environmental Protection Agency/Army Corps of Engineers 2015 “Waters of the U.S.” rule that greatly expanded the regulatory reach of the agencies’ authority to thousands of isolated or small (e.g., depressions, ditches, etc.) waters and drainage features. While several courts have issued injunctions on implementing the rule pending the outcome of several lawsuits, this was the first decision to rule on the legitimacy of the process to finalize the 2015 rule. The Southern District of Texas decision, to which U.S. Poultry & Egg Association was a party, concluded that the agencies erred in following legal guidelines when the agencies issued the 2015 regulation without giving an opportunity to comment on a key report cited for much of the more controversial provisions of the new rule.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Many Cheer Year Round E15 Rule

Cindy Zimmerman

Hundreds on hand for the grand opening of the Elite Octane ethanol plant in Atlantic, Iowa on Friday got an extra celebratory boost with the announcement that E15 can now be sold year round. Guest speakers including Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds welcomed the news just hours after it was announced.

“Increased demand for E85 and E15 means that we can support more new ethanol plants like Elite Octane,” said Sen. Ernst. “We are officially ready, folks, to start our summer driving season with E15!”

Sen. Joni Ernst remarks at Elite Octane grand opening

EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum provided details to reporters Friday morning of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule related to retail sales of 15% ethanol blended fuel and renewable identification number (RIN) transparency.

EPA finalized regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to take advantage of the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months. EPA is also finalizing regulatory changes to modify certain elements of the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, in order to bring greater transparency to the market and deter price manipulation.

EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum press conference

Charlie Good, owner of Good & Quick store in Nevada, Iowa is one of over 1000 station owners around the country who did not have to re-label pumps over the weekend this year.

In this interview, Good talks about what being able to sell 15% ethanol in the summer months means for him and how he has been able to help get it done by telling his story to lawmakers, including President Trump himself.

Interview with Iowa fuel retailer Charlie Good
Audio, Ethanol

Alltech Accelerator 4 – TERRA NutriTECH

Carrie Muehling

Ireland-based TERRA NutriTECH wants to bring mineral dispensing into the 21st century, and the company’s participation in the Alltech Pearse Lyons Accelerator is helping them to do just that.

“It’s a precision liquid nutrition system,” explained Padraig Hennessy, CEO of TERRA NutriTECH. “It can automatically put liquid supplements into the water line, accurately. So, we input in the exact number of animals and the exact dosage rate, and there’s an advanced algorithm inside and that overcomes variations in water intake to ensure exact, precise dosing each and every day. The benefits of that then is consistency for the animal, and it reduces labor for the farmer, so it’s easy and it works.”

Hennessy said the company wants to bring data insights into an industry where there has been none, improving product efficacy with precise application inside the farm gate.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Padraig here: Interview with Padraig Hennessy, TERRA NutriTECH

Alltech Ideas Conference – ONE19 Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Nutrition

ZimmCast 617 – Farmer Veteran Coalition

Chuck Zimmerman

I first heard of the Farmer Veteran Coalition in 2014 but until now, haven’t had an opportunity to learn more and talk with anyone involved. That changed this week when I spoke with founder/director, Michael O’Gorman. 

The Mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is Mobilizing Veterans to Feed America

We cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. We believe that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems. We believe that agriculture offers purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits.

Michael talks about what motivated him to start the organization and how it has developed. He has examples of individuals who have developed successful farming operations with support from the Coalition. Many farm organizations and agribusinesses are providing assistance and there is room for more.

I think you’ll find Michael very well-spoken and you might want to consider him for your next conference as a speaker.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: The Farmer Veteran Coalition

Audio, Farming, ZimmCast

EPA Approves Year Round Sales of 15% Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol industry stakeholders are thrilled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule allowing retailers to sell gasoline containing 15% ethanol (E15) year-round.

“E15 already has a proven track record for saving drivers money at the pump and reducing emissions, and today’s action will ensure that more Americans are able to enjoy those benefits. Year-round E15 will also provide a badly needed long-term demand boost for our industry and America’s farmers, who face a number of daunting challenges today,” said Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper.

The second part of the rule proposed by EPA regarding Renewable Identification Number (RIN) transparency was scaled back from the original proposal and will now require “public disclosure when RIN holdings exceed specified thresholds” while collecting “additional data to improve market transparency and enhance EPA oversight.”

RFA CEO Geoff Cooper comments on E15 rule

National Corn Growers Association President Lynn Chrisp said, “Farmers are facing some tough times which makes this announcement particularly welcome. We thank President Trump for following through on his promise to rural America and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and supporters in Congress for their outspoken commitment to year-round E15.”

“This move to approve the year-round use of E15 in time for the summer driving season provides consumers with more choices when they fill up at the pump, driving demand for our farmers and improving the air we breathe. While the Trump Administration and USDA are expanding the ethanol market in the United States, we continue to fight for more export markets in Brazil, Mexico, China, and other countries across the globe,” said Secretary Perdue.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says they are also pleased with the EPA action. “Removing outdated barriers and regulations is a commitment that this Administration continues to make good on. As our country has worked on breaking our dependency on foreign oil, our farmers have played a major role in helping us become more energy independent. After years of declining farm income, opening up markets to additional fuel choices for consumers helps create new demand that farmers desperately need.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “We’re grateful EPA kept the President’s promise to get the rulemaking done on time and we will work to ensure retailers understand their hands are no longer tied by red tape preventing them from offering a lower priced, higher octane E15 fuel to their customers all year starting this summer. For the ethanol industry and farmers, this means greater market access — more ethanol demand over the long term as additional retailers begin offering E15.”

ACE CEO Brian Jennings interview on E15 rule
ACE, AFBF, Audio, Ethanol, RFA