RFA Ethanol Podcast

Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0 Boosts Yields Again

Carrie Muehling

BASF looks to bring even more yield to growers with Poncho® /VOTiVO® 2.0, adding a third mode of action to a trusted family of products.

Since Poncho came on the scene in 2004, followed by Poncho/VOTiVO in 2011, the products have been providing secondary insect protection and yield boosts to growers. The newest product brings even more advantages, said Kerry Grossweiler, BASF Seed Solutions Product Manager.

“[It has] an additional biologic bacterial that increases the microbial activity in the soil around the corn roots. It results in additional nutrient availability and uptake by the corn plant,” said Grossweiler.

Trials show that translates to an average yield increase of 3.8 bushels per acre over previous versions as it pushes the plant to work harder. Grossweiler encouraged growers to talk to local seed dealers about the opportunity do a trial with Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0 in 2019. Grossweiler was at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Kerry here: NAFB18 Interview with Kerry Grossweiler, BASF

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, NAFB

Zimfo Bytes 11/16

Carrie Muehling

  • Farmer’s Business Network, Inc. is now offering a full range of crop insurance products and services through its affiliate FBN Insurance LLC. Farmers interested in new coverage offerings supported by FBN’s technology and analytical capabilities can get a free personal analysis at https://fbn.com/try-insurance.
  • Plan to attend the 2019 Ag & Food HR Roundtable July 30 – August 1, 2019 in Ames, Iowa presented by AgCareers.com, thanks to co-hosts BASF and Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ October U.S. Ag Tractor and Combine Report shows overall sales remained positive year-to-date, although a few categories recorded October declines.
  • New Holland has formed a year-long strategic relationship with Dave Sparks, also known as ‘Heavy D’, who is an entrepreneur, custom vehicle builder and social media personality. Sparks also stars in the Discovery TV series, Diesel Brothers.
  • At the Cotton Sourcing USA Summit, Cotton Council International President Ted Schneider addressed how the U.S. cotton industry intends to meet its 2025 sustainability goals. Central to his remarks was the introduction of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of sixteen members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
  • In response to an announcement made by the American Medical Association to create front-of-package food warning labels that would mislead consumers, the Sugar Association President and CEO Courtney Gaine PhD, RD, issued the following statement voicing concern over labeling changes.
  • FFA announces a brand-new, student-led national television program to air on RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel. “FFA Today,” presented by Dish will premiere on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. ET. The weekly program will feature students living the FFA motto of “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, and Living to Serve.” Each week, FFA Today, hosted by FFA members will showcase their peers’ accomplishments in the classroom, in their community, and in agribusiness.
  • American Farmland Trust announces its partnership with Farmland to save farmland and ranchland. Now through Dec. 31, 2019, Farmland has pledged to protect one square foot of American farmland for every Pure Farmland item purchased, by donating funds from these products to AFT to further its mission.
Zimfo Bytes

NAFB Foundation Silent Auction Microphone Winner

Chuck Zimmerman

To support the NAFB Foundation our AgNewsWire service donated a microphone that the winner could have painted in their own custom colors. Congratulations to Susan Littlefield, Rural Radio Network, for the winning bid in the Foundation Silent Auction during the 75th NAFB Convention. Here’s the description of the microphone (from Colorware):

Customize the color of your next microphone. This is a Sennheiser e935 mic which can be used for all kinds of farm broadcasting applications. You can expect dynamic tunes from a superb quality Sennheiser microphone, but you can expect brilliant style from ColorWare’s elite customization process. Let ColorWare give your Sennheiser mic the vibrant finish it deserves.

Susan went with the Minnesota Gophers color scheme. This is going to look awesome when she’s conducting interviews! Oh, and BTW, feel free to contribute to the NAFB Foundation here.

Media, NAFB

Farm Bureau Thanksgiving Dinner Survey

Cindy Zimmerman

For the 33rd year in a row the American Farm Bureau Federation has released its survey of prices for food items on the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner table, and the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $48.90, or less than $5.00 per person. That is down 22 cents from last year’s average of $49.12 and the least expensive in eight years.

“Since 2015, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined steadily and is now at the lowest level since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.

The featured food on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs slightly less than last year, coming in at $21.71 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.36 per pound, down 3 percent from last year. The survey results show that retail turkey prices are the lowest since 2014.

“Thanks to an ample supply, turkey remains affordable for consumers, which helps keep the overall cost of the dinner reasonably priced as well,” Newton said.

The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.

Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk, $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas, $1.47; and a dozen rolls, $2.25.

Read more from AFBF.

AFBF, AgWired Animal, Food

FMC Introduces Ethos 3D

Carrie Muehling

Participants at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event learned more about Ethos® 3D insecticide/fungicide from FMC.

The product is formulated specifically for the 3RIVE 3D® in-furrow application system that converts traditional high-volume applications to low-volume applications through patented technologies. FMC’s Bob Hooten said farmers are beginning to view crop protection products as a program and not just an application, and that’s important. Fighting waterhemp is just one example.

“Waterhemp is an incredible plant in the fact that it has wiped out a lot of our chemistries and we just don’t have options anymore. So we ave to really make sure that we manage. And don’t slack up on the rates at planting time. If you do that, you’re going to develop resistance again, so keep your full rates out there,” said Hooten.

Hooten said Ethos 3D offers rootworm, wireworm and grub control, and includes a biological component that grows along the root system to protect against pythium, rhizoctonia, fusarium and phytopthora. He said the equipment is free right now when growers commit to buying FMC products over a one-year or three-year period.

Ethos 3D insecticide/fungicide and the 3RIVE 3D application system are part of FMC Freedom Pass, which includes application innovations, agronomic rewards, product financing and product assurances.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Bob here: NAFB18 Interview with Bob Hooten, FMC - Ethos® 3D


2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, FMC, Fungicide, Insecticides, NAFB

Corn Growers Partner With Environmental Defense Fund

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is joining forces with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to address one of the most pressing challenges for farmers, rural communities and natural resources – how to improve environmental outcomes while optimizing productivity and profitability.

The partnership will work on gathering data for tracking of water quality, soil health and greenhouse gas emissions, and developing user-friendly technology solutions for data reporting and analysis. It will also include on-farm engagement to increase knowledge about innovative conservation tools and practices, policy advocacy to support voluntary conservation programs with measurable outcomes, and finding ways for farmers to benefit economically from conservation practices such as cover crops and conservation tillage.

The Soil Health Partnership, an NCGA initiative, has been working on making agriculture more productive and sustainable through improved soil health since it was started in 2015. Iowa farmer and NCGA First Vice President Kevin Ross was among the first to enroll in the program, which has been gathering data from more than 100 working farms enrolled in 12 states on progressive farm management practices such as cover crop usage to determine both economic and environmental sustainability.

In this interview from NAFB Trade Talk last week, Ross talks about the Soil Health Partnership 4th annual summit, January 15 – 16 in St. Louis, which is open to all growers and agronomists for the first time. He also talks about the new agreement between NCGA, United Soybean Board, and National Pork Board for sustainability research. NAFB18 Interview with Iowa farmer Kevin Ross, NCGA 1st VP

2018 NAFB Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Conservation, Corn, Environment, NAFB, NCGA

Growth Energy Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Cindy Zimmerman

Growth Energy was first announced this month in 2008 so they are now officially 10 years old. At the NAFB Convention Trade Talk last week, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor shared some of the many accomplishments the organization has made over the last decade, from promoting the performance value of ethanol through NASCAR, to growing international and domestic markets and advocating for sound biofuels policy.

We are creating a three-part Driving Ethanol podcast series on the 10th anniversary of Growth Energy, including some archived interviewed with the founders of the organization and early advocacy efforts, but want to share the entire interview with Emily from NAFB where she talks about the progress they have made in the past decade.

Listen here: NAFB18 Interview with Emily Skor, Growth Energy

2018 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Ethanol, NAFB

Introducing USFRA 2.0

Cindy Zimmerman

In Kansas City last week, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) introduced its refined focus, the new Farmer Ambassador network, and 2019 projects that connect food and agriculture stakeholders to enable better decision making.

Speaking to affiliate members and media attending the NAFB Convention were USFRA chairman Brad Greenway of South Dakota, USFRA Chief Executive Officer Erin Fitzgerald, and USFRA Communications Committee Chair Mace Thornton, who is American Farm Bureau Federation’s Executive Director for Communications.

Listen here:
USFRA 2.0 press conference

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, USFRA

GROWMARK Simulator Aids Training

Carrie Muehling

Using a sprayer simulator for training is not new to members of GROWMARK and FS System companies, but a virtual reality (VR) component is a recent addition.

“It’s helped out our training quite a bit because you can move around and look up and down, but you can also lean forward and see your tires and everything, so the realistic feeling is definitely coming through with the new goggles that we have out,” said Eric Wilcox, equipment manager for crop protection.

Wilcox said there is a need to fill a gap between operators with 30 or more years of experience who are near retirement, and those coming in with little or no experience. It can be costly to find a machine and ground to use for training, and weather is also a factor. The simulator allows for continuous training as new regulations and new operators come in, no matter the season.

GROWMARK is working to obtain more simulators that will be shared across the area where its member companies are located that would be available to train employees or to rent to others needing access to this type of training. Wilcox was at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Eric Wilcox, GROWMARK

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, GROWMARK, NAFB

ASTA Talks Seed and Trade at #NAFB18

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) team attended the NAFB Trade Talk last week and discussed what their name is all about – seed and trade.

ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne says trade is critical for the seed industry and acceptance of new plant breeding methods is important on a global scale, so the recent signing of the International Statement on Agricultural Applications of Precision Biotechnology by the U.S. and 13 other countries is welcome news. “This is a strong showing of support by governments around the world in recognition of the necessity of continued evolution in plant breeding, and the critical role that it will play in ensuring a more sustainable and secure global food production system,” said LaVigne.

In this interview, LaVigne also talked about the federal Food and Drug Administration’s new Action Plan on biotechnology innovation, the impact of recent mergers on the industry, and the ASTA CSS 2018 and Seed Expo, coming up December 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. NAFB18 Interview with Andy LaVigne, ASTA

2018 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, NAFB, Seed