Livestock Publications Council Hires New Executive Director

Chuck Zimmerman

Lindsay Graber RunftLindsay Graber Runft begins serving as the new Executive Director for the Livestock Publications Council on July 15, 2019. The LPC Board approved the agreement after a 5-month search and selection process that generated 39 letters of interest and 12 applications. The search was facilitated by Steve Drake, president of SCD Group Inc. Runft replaces Diane Johnson who retires August 15.

“The LPC Board is very excited to have someone with the experience and passion for our industry to continue moving the organization forward,” said Carey Brown, LPC President and Publication Coordinator of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. “Lindsay will be a great asset to the group and we look forward to building our organization with her leadership.”

Runft served as director of marketing and communications of the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) from 2013 to 2018. She has been principal of Prairie Public Relations since 2018.

“I am incredibly excited, and honored, to accept the role of Executive Director for Livestock Publications Council,” Runft said. “It will be a privilege to further LPC’s purpose of serving the livestock communications industry through collaborative work with Board leadership and membership service.”

The LPC office will relocate from Fort Worth, Texas, to Courtland, Kansas, effective August 15, 2019.

I’m looking forward to seeing both Diane and Lindsay at the Ag Media Summit/IFAJ Congress in July.

LPC, Media

NPPC Launches Keep America First in Ag Campaign

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has launched a new campaign to highlight the importance of establishing a proper regulatory framework for gene editing in American livestock. The “Keep America First in Agriculture” campaign was officially kicked off Tuesday with a media teleconference featuring leading researchers, veterinarians, producers and industry experts.

“Gene editing is a huge step forward for America’s farmers, as it offers a powerful new way to combat animal disease,” said Dr. Dan Kovich, NPPC’s director of Science & Technology. “With gene editing, livestock breeders can knock out specific genes that make animals vulnerable to viral infections. Healthier animals benefit both farmers and consumers.”

While countries like Canada, Brazil and Argentina are moving quickly on this advancement to gain competitive advantage in the market, the U.S. is running the risk of falling far behind as a result of a regulatory seize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under FDA regulation, gene editing faces an impractical, lengthy and expensive approval process, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs and nearly six percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

Additionally, the FDA’s regulation inaccurately classifies livestock as drugs and farms as drug-manufacturing facilities, creating significant challenges for the international trade in animals and animal products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the only agency prepared to effectively regulate this new technology. It already has a review process in place for genetic editing in plants under its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which can easily be adopted for livestock. The USDA also has the understanding and history of working directly with livestock and agriculture, unlike the FDA, which regulates packaged food, drugs and medical devices.

Listen to opening remarks from the press conference with Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Animal Biotechnology and Genomics Extension Specialist, University of California, Davis; Dr. Kovich; Andrew Bailey, NPPC Lead Counsel for Science and Technology; and Dr. Bradley Wolter, a leading pork producer and President of The Maschhoffs.

NPPC launches Keep America First in Agriculture
AgWired Animal, Audio, Food, Livestock, NPPC, Pork

Precision Ag Bytes 6/26

Carrie Muehling

  • JCB set a new British speed record for tractors with a modified version of its JCB 8000-series Fastrac. The tractor achieved an average maximum speed of 103.6 mph over two runs at Elvington Airfield in the United Kingdom. Television and motorsports personality Guy Martin was behind the wheel.
  • The ARA Invitational Golf Tournament will again be part of the 2019 ARA Conference & Expo in New Orleans on Dec. 3-5! Register before the early bird rate expires Oct. 15 and join the leaders in ag retail in “The Big Easy.”
  • The Soil Health Institute announced that Dr. C. Wesley (Wes) Wood has joined its Board of Directors.​ Dr. Wood is a Professor and Center Director of the West Florida Research and Education Center with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
  • At this year’s Bio World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and AgTech in Des Moines, Iowa, the Consider Corn Challenge II winners will be announced. The National Corn Growers Association is also a sponsor of the event and will be participating in a number of sessions.
  • Nutrien Ltd. announced it is now a Founding Member of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, a collection of private-sector and nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing sustainability throughout the agricultural supply chain.
  • Ceres Imaging announced the release of a new Variable Rate Application Zone Tool. The tool combines the highest accuracy aerial imagery on the market with patented data analytics to automatically generate management zones for variable rate applications of nitrogen and other inputs.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Brownfield Adds Rural Radio to Porfolio

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s a big announcement for Brownfield, a company I used to work for!

Brownfield welcomes Rural Radio satellite channel 147 to the suite of agriculture networks it represents for national sales. This partnership increases Brownfield’s current marketing reach and expands listening opportunities for unique Brownfield programs featured along with Rural Radio programs.

Rural Radio“This is a great partnership bringing two of the industry leaders in audio for the agriculture and rural lifestyle together to provide greater opportunity for our partnered brands,” explains John Baker, Senior Vice President of Brownfield. “This allows Brownfield the opportunity to provide our clients with a platform that gives national coverage and unique customized programs that are client driven and compliment their media strategies.”

The addition of Rural Radio on SiriusXM to Brownfield’s portfolio is significant to advertisers. Brownfield in combination with its rep partners now offers more radio coverage of U.S. agriculture than any other radio group in the country, reaching listeners in 86% of the U.S. corn acres and 69% of U.S. soybean acres. In addition to increasing farmer reach nationally, the Brownfield/SirusXM combination offers up to 50% or more reach of growers in key Midwest states.

Brownfield will represent Rural Radio and all commercial inventory on the channel from 6am-1pm central time offering sales support, research, and unique program opportunities that are both strategic and client driven. Advertising can be targeted by commodity to zero in on desired audience by placing fixed position messages.

Media

Congrats to 2019 Golden ARC Awards Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

The Ag Relations Council (ARC) had a great annual meeting last week in Kansas City where they announced the winners for the 2019 Golden ARC Awards contest.

The Golden ARC de Excellence award is given to the best all-around entry in the campaigns division and this year that honor was 2019 Golden ARC Award Winners bestowed upon a campaign produced by Minneapolis-based agency, Padilla. “Seeding Support for Farm and Food Interests – A Greater Minnesota with Padilla” was entered into the Public Affairs division. Padilla credits John Himle for his work on the campaign.

Padilla took home seven Golden ARC awards this year, in addition to the Golden ARC de Excellence award.

Organizations receiving Golden ARC awards and merits are American Farm Bureau Federation, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Archer Malmo, Bader Rutter, Charleston|Orwig, Cogent Consulting and Communications, Inc., Evans, Hardy + Young, Farm Credit East, Filament, G & S Business Communications, Kansas Farm Bureau, Ketchum, Midwest Dairy, MorganMyers, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, New Boston Creative, O+B|P, Padilla, Porter Novelli, Rabo AgriFinance, Seaboard Foods, and Two Rivers Marketing.

Click here for a complete winners’ listing of the 2019 Golden ARC Awards Contest.

Congrats to all!

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, ARC, Public Relations

USDA Feral Swine Eradication Program is Good News

Chuck Zimmerman

The meat of feral hogs is pretty good but we would rather have more deer, thanks very much.

Since 2013 I have hunted on a piece of land we affectionately call the Crystal Pig Hunt Club in central Georgia with my brother Paul and Gary Cooper of AgNet Media. The hogs started moving in about 2016 and have since made a dent in the deer population because they don’t get along well. Pictured here is godson and nephew Luke with his lovely wife Hope and a couple of hogs they got at the camp.

So, we were happy to hear about USDA’s new Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP) in a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Applications are being accepted through Aug. 19, 2019, for partners to carry out activities as part of these pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

Where brother Paul lives near Madison, Georgia the feral hog population has been a problem since at least 2014. The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to finally help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.

Feral swine have been reported in at least 35 states and their population is estimated at over 6 million and is rapidly expanding. According to APHIS, feral swine were first brought to the United States in the 1500s by early explorers and settlers as a source of food. In the 1900s, the Eurasian or Russian wild boar was introduced into parts of the United States for the purpose of sport hunting. Today, feral swine are a combination of escaped domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boars, and hybrids of the two. Texas is the number one state for feral swine by far, estimated to have about half the U.S. population.

Bottom line, these beasts are nasty and destructive and probably even PETA would agree they should be eradicated.

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Hunting, USDA

Animal Ag Bites 6/24

Cindy Zimmerman

  • Almost a million pounds of pork, or nearly 3.2 million servings, were donated by U.S. pig farmers during 2018, according to data compiled by the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council.
  • New University of Illinois research, supported by Phibro Animal Health Corporation, demonstrates the benefits of a fully acidified, high-calcium diet for dairy cows. A Facebook Live panel from the 2019 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) conference on Tuesday, June 25, at 5 p.m. EDT will feature the researchers. To watch this event from anywhere, simply visit the Phibro Facebook page, like it and visit the page again for the live event. The panel discussion will also be posted to the Phibro Facebook page and available for download.
  • The National Pork Board has announced that its second Pig Welfare Symposium will take place Nov. 13-14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The biennial forum is designed to help improve the well-being of pigs by disseminating recent research findings and recommendations, raising awareness of current and emerging issues and identifying potential solutions.
  • The Israeli Dairy School will offer a Dairy Herd Management Seminar and Tour of Israel from January 5-11, 2020. An opportunity to learn about the Israeli dairy industry’s success, the Seminar offers American dairy farmers an introduction to Israel’s newest herd management technologies and dairy herd feeding and nutrition techniques.
  • USDA is offering $75 million in funding for the eradication and control of feral swine through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP). Applications are being accepted through Aug. 19, 2019, for partners to carry out activities as part of these pilot projects in select areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The 2018 Farm Bill included this new pilot program to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems and human and animal health.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Can-Am Adds Mossy Oak Camouflage To 2020 Defender

Chuck Zimmerman

Can-Am Defender Mossy OakHere’s a vehicle that would look great out at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club! We’ve got some tough conditions there that would make using one of these very desirable. Here is the announcement.

The 2020 Can-Am Defender XMR MAX is now available in Mossy Oak Country camo, and is loaded with upgrades for 2020, all designed to enhance the experience of tackling even the most extreme mud conditions with ease.

To get over logs and ruts, the XMR MAX has 15 inches of ground clearing and sits on 30” ITP Cryptid mud tires. The vehicle also comes with snorkeled CVT and engine air intakes to go in deeper mud and come out on the other side.

The Can-Am Defender lineup is true workhorse. The vehicles can tow up to 2,500-lbs, and has up to 1,000-lb cargo box payload capacity. The Defender also features a tight turning radius, removable storage options, and different drive modes for varying terrain. The heavy-duty front bumper, aluminum rock sliders and mudguards keep riders and the machine protected while slinging mud, and the X-Package bolstered seats keep the driver and up to five passengers in place.

New for MY20 is an 82hp Rotax HD10 engine and re-calibrated CVT transmission for noise reduction and better performance. And an upgraded 7.6-inch digital display was added to the unit for better viewing of gauges and controls.

For more information on the entire lineup of 2020 Can-Am Vehicles, visit https://can-am.brp.com/.

Can-Am, Farming, Hunting

Zimfo Bytes 6/21

Cindy Zimmerman

  • Alabama farmer Larkin Martin, CEO of Martin Farm, has been elected Chair of the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. Martin, who will serve a two-year term, succeeds Joe Swedberg of Longmont, CO, a retired executive of Hormel Foods Corporation.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased to announce Michael Granchè is joining the organization as market development manager. Granchè will serve as a contact for NCGA’s animal agriculture partners and will work on export and transportation issues.
  • USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson has announced the departure of USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Dr. Seth Meyer, effective July 13, along with the appointment of Deputy Board Chair Dr. Mark Jekanowski as acting board chair.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced the selection of a record number of George Washington Carver (GWC) Interns for the summer program. Since its inception in 2001 the George Washington Carver internship program has impacted over 300 students, welcoming 21 this summer.
  • Emily Combs Ziemke of Corteva Agriscience was recognized by Seed World as the 2019 Future Giant of the seed industry at the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Policy & Leadership Development Conference in Denver, Colo.
  • Brownfield Ag News is pleased to announce Will Robinson has joined the Brownfield team as News Assistant. Will is from Wellsville, Missouri and is currently a Senior at University of Missouri where he is majoring in science and agricultural journalism with an emphasis in radio broadcast.
  • American Agri-Women raised key issues with Washington, D.C., lawmakers & regulators at their recent 26th annual Fly-In. The group also recognized its 2019 Champions of Agriculture and presented President Donald J. Trump with the Chief Champion of Agriculture award.
Zimfo Bytes

The Passing of Jerry Stoller

Chuck Zimmerman

Chuck Interviews Jerry StollerI am sad to learn of the passing of Jerry Stoller, founder of Stoller Enterprises. I only met him once but he’s one of the men in this industry who made an impression and impact on me in just the short time I got to talk with him. Here’s the announcement from the company.

Stoller Enterprises Founder, Jerry H. Stoller passed away on June 19, 2019. He was 84. “All of us are mourning the passing of our company’s founder, Jerry Stoller. Jerry will be remembered as an entrepreneur and a revolutionary pioneer in plant physiology, plant nutrition, and plant hormone technology. He dedicated his life to finding ways to help good things grow,” said Guillermo de la Borda, President of Stoller Group. Jerry Stoller was Chairman of the Board of StollerUSA and Stoller Group, and creator of the Stoller Foundation which incubates and accelerates non-profits focused on evangelism and volunteerism.

I met Jerry in 2009 at the 16th annual U. S. Ag Associates Conference in Houston, TX. I was there to create content for the John Deere Drive Green Utility Tractor Show but had time to stop by and speak to Jerry during their lunch break. Jerry is one of the industry leaders I’ve had the honor to interview for my weekly podcast. I think you will enjoy listening to what he had to say because so much of it is still relevant today.

ZimmCast 204 with Jerry Stoller:Interview with Jerry Stoller

Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Protection, Crop Science