The Best of 2018
Here are some of our favorite photos and links to our top viewed posts on AgWired for 2018. We covered nearly 50 events around the world in 2018, from the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in January to the American Seed Trade Association Seed Expo in December, and we are grateful to all of our friends and fans for making it possible. See you down the Agriblogging Highway starting January 7 in New Orleans at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences!
Top Viewed AgWired Posts of 2018
The John Deere API Evangelist at #DevelopWithDeere
Farm Credit: What’s on the Horizon for Rural America
President Trump at 91st National FFA Convention
Major Seed Companies after the Mergers
BASF Takes Over Bayer Assets
Alltech Honors Company Founder’s Legacy
Bayer Outlines Vision for Future of Farming
Trump Discusses E15 and Agricultural Trade Issues
Gene Editing is Disruptive Innovation for Agriculture
Inari Aims to Transform Agriculture
Growers Pleased With Bayer’s Fluency Agent Advanced
Response has been positive to Bayer‘s Fluency Agent Advanced, a seed lubricant the company introduced last year. The product helps not only with seed lubricity, but also with reducing dust that may escape during the planting process.
“It’s primarily for corn and soybeans,” said Bayer’s Bill Striegel. “We introduced it for corn, but it works just as good for soybeans. It’s a good replacement for either talc or talc-/graphite or graphite. It will work on all types of planters.”
Striegel said more information about the product is available from local dealers or at cropscience.bayer.us. Striegel was at the American Seed Trade Association CSS 2018 and Seed Expo in Chicago.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Bill here: Interview with Bill Streigel, Bayer Fluency Agent Advanced
Zimfo Bytes 12/28
- International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) announces the 2019 Exposure-4-Development tour, to Brazil, March 31-April 7, 2019. This week-long tour will provide an opportunity for 14 journalists to explore production, processing, and exports in Brazil’s Parana State.
- Renewable Energy Group, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has named Cynthia (CJ) Warner to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 14, 2019, at which time she will also join the Board of Directors.
- National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen congratulated Warner on the Renewable Energy Group position. “REG continues to be a strong leader in the biodiesel industry and Warner’s extensive experience in the energy sector will be a great addition to the company’s tremendous leadership team. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with REG and all of our members across the country to continue expanding America’s advanced biofuel.”
- Register for the American Seed Trade Association‘s 58th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference by Friday, January 4, 2019 to take advantage of early registration rates and ASTA’s hotel block. ASTA’s Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference is February 1-5, 2019 at the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation has appointed farmer and rancher members to the organization’s Promotion & Education and Young Farmers & Ranchers committees. National committee members are nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus. Learn more online: Promotion & Education and Young Farmers & Ranchers.
- The 2019 Water for Food Global Conference is scheduled for April 29-30, 2019 at the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. Registration will open in late January.
- Rhea + Kaiser welcomes Account Supervisor Cheryl Winkelman, Senior Copywriter Ryann Flynn and Public Relations Assistant Account Manager Erica Ballmer.
Over $150,000 Raised for WEDA Foundations
The Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) is thrilled to announce that over $150,000 was raised at the recent WEDA International Dealer Conference for WEDA’s Foundations. Funds raised will go toward scholarships to support career and technical education programs for ag equipment technicians.
Recognizing critical labour shortages of properly trained dealership employees, the Canada Equipment Dealers Foundation (CEDF) and the Western Equipment Dealers Foundation (WEDF) were established as the arms-length charitable organizations of the Western Equipment Dealers Association. Focusing on professional education and workforce development issues specific to the industry, the Foundations help to fund educational programs and services for agricultural, industrial and outdoor power equipment dealers across North America.
The CEDF was established in 1998, and since inception it has distributed over $2.5 million in Canada to current and prospective dealership employees, colleges for training programs, scholarships and capital funding. WEDA, and its Canadian predecessor, the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association, has also provided capital funding to Olds College, Assiniboine Community College, Parkland College and Sask Polytechnic through the CEDF.
Since its inception in 2015, the WEDF has raised more than $110,000 through fundraising events and $70,000 has been spent on scholarships and other programs. “With the addition of last week’s funds this brings us close to $250,000,” said John Schmeiser, CEO, WEDA. “We’re excited to continue to award more scholarships to dealer employees to support career and technical education programs for ag equipment technicians.”
Eco World Group Announces Patent Allowance
Eco World Research and Development Group (EWG) has announced their latest patent allowance which protects the combination of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), NBPT, and Urea or UAN.
This allowance originates from a continuation patent and claims priority from EWG’s innovative patent technology filed in 2012 around DMSO and the PenXcel delivery system, which does not expire until 2032.
This patent allowance, which originates from a continuation patent and claims priority from EWG’s innovative patent technology filed in 2012, is the latest in a series of allowances that protects the intellectual property behind products that combine NBPT and DCD to protect from nitrogen loss on Urea and UAN.
“This continuation allowance provides specificity, simplicity, and enhancement to our current Intellectual Property,” stated David McKnight, EWG President. “Our strategy of patenting our technology families is now starting to reach significance in the marketplace.”
“Many products in the marketplace – both additives and products delivered as a pretreated urea – incorporate the technologies, Intellectual Properties, and Patents controlled by EWG,” added EWG shareholder Ray Perkins. “The broadening of the Property Rights and claims contained in these patents should eliminate all ambiguity.”
The Neon family of products supported by this allowance are available exclusively in the United States from Presidion Ag. and exclusively Internationally at InnovarAg.com.
Animal Ag Bites 12/24
- The American Feed Industry Association has released the dates and locations for its 2019 conferences and online courses. Registration for several of these events is already open at afia.org/events.
- The American Feed Industry Association’s President and CEO Joel G. Newman formally announced to members that he will be retiring from the association effective December 2019.
- More than 21,400 dairy producers opted for coverage through the Margin Protection Program for Dairy in 2018, up by more than 2,000 producers from the previous year.
- GEA recently achieved a significant milestone in its company history by manufacturing its 10,000th liquid manure spreader tank.
- Dairy Farmers of America will acquire Agropur’s facility in Maplewood, Minn. The sale is expected to close in early January.
- USPOULTRY announces the completion of a funded research project at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that shows the nutritional effects of coccidiosis vaccination. The research summary can be found on the USPOULTRY website.
- A group of major food companies, retailers, livestock producers, and trade and professional associations announced a comprehensive framework to strengthen stewardship of antibiotic use in food animals. The framework is the product of a two-year dialogue among stakeholders, moderated by Farm Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, to ensure that antibiotics are used judiciously throughout production to protect animal and public health.
- The USDA recently awarded $499,542 to the University of Minnesota, Kutztown University and Rodale Institute for a 3-year NIFA Organic Transitions grant to explore manure and pasture management strategies that can control swine parasites in organic pig production.
Happy Holidays from NAMA
How about a Happy Holidays from the National Agri-Marketing Association.
The NAMA staff wishes you a safe and happy holiday season! Thank you for being part of the NAMA community. In the coming year we will continue to connect you to the people, tools and programs you need to position yourself and your organization for success.
Happy Holidays from NAFB
We always like to spotlight some of the industry Christmas cards we get each year and NAFB has a good one!
