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
Groups Submit Comments on E15/RIN Reform Proposal
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.
Harden Joins Dairy Management Inc.
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.
Water for Hungry World Important for Bayer
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, BayerInterview 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
Conference This Week on Water for a Hungry World
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
Animal Ag Bites 4/29
- 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.
Zimfo Bytes 4/26
- 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.
New Agriblogs and Farm Podcasts
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.
Senator Says Trade is Top Concern in Iowa
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
2019 Can-Am Defender Ag Sales Event
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.