RFA Ethanol Podcast

NAMA Launches Student Sales Competition

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is announcing plans to launch a new competition for student members in conjunction with the 2019 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City. The competition will take place on Tuesday, April 9.

The Student NAMA Sales Competition is an individual sales call skills challenge. With this competition, NAMA hopes to promote the sales profession as a viable career option for college graduates and furnish a venue for talented and qualified students to exhibit their selling skills.

“NAMA is continuously looking for innovative ways to benefit our professional and student members and we believe this will be a great addition to the student program,” said Jennifer Pickett, NAMA Executive Vice President/CEO. “We feel this competition will have broad appeal across ag companies and media, as well as with NAMA students.”

Sponsorship is vital when launching any new program. NAMA is pleased to announce GROWMARK, Inc. as the premier sponsor for this year’s competition. Additional sponsorships will also be available.

This program will be offered in addition to the annual Student Marketing Competition, which will continue as usual. More details will be available soon.

NAMA

EPA Extends Dicamba Registration with Label Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it is extending the registration of dicamba for two years for “over-the-top” use (application to growing plants) to control weeds in fields for cotton and soybean plants genetically engineered to resist dicamba.

“EPA understands that dicamba is a valuable pest control tool for America’s farmers,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “By extending the registration for another two years with important new label updates that place additional restrictions on the product, we are providing certainty to all stakeholders for the upcoming growing season.”

Label changes include prohibiting over-the-top application of dicamba on soybeans 45 days after planting and cotton 60 days after planting and limiting the number of over-the-top applications in cotton from 4 to 2 (soybeans remain at 2 OTT applications).

Bayer says the continued registration for XtendiMax® Herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology ensures growers will have access to this important weed-control tool for the 2019 season and beyond. “For the 2019 season, we’ll continue to work closely with growers and applicators, along with grower associations, state regulators, universities and others to ensure growers have continued success with XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology,” says Ryan Rubischko, Bayer’s dicamba portfolio lead.

Read more from Bayer.

AgWired Precision, Bayer, EPA, Herbicide, weed management

Hunting with a Can-Am Mossy Oak Edition

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s deer hunting time in Georgia. This year the Crystal Pig Hunt Club (CPHC) members are getting to roll in camo style with a machine that is built to handle some pretty rough terrain.

The Can-Am Defender Mossy Oak Hunting Edition is easy to drive and that includes changing to 4-wheel drive when needed. So far we’ve hauled corn to fill feeders, worked on our stands, driven out to our hunt location and back to camp.

We also have trail cams set up where we have feeders. Here’s a night time hello from a nice buck. He’s one of several that have been showing up along with a couple of does. Of course we have feral hogs too. But, so far, they have only showed up in one area of our property.

I have only had a couple of days at the CPHC so far but more is coming soon. Looking forward to a great deer season.

Can-Am, Hunting

Alltech Yeast Products Help Dairy Efficiency

Carrie Muehling

Alltech knows very well the benefits of using live yeast in a feed ration, and Territory Sales Manager Kurt Peterson was talking to farmers about that at the 2018 World Dairy Expo.

“Right now, everybody is aware of low milk prices. So the focus really is still driving efficiency at the dairy, looking at the ways to increase production without increasing cost, just evaluating things that they can control,” said Peterson.

Peterson said using yeast can lead to rumen stabilization and enhanced fiber digestion. He told farmers it is important to identify whether that yeast is going into a mineral, complete feed, or a supplement.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Kurt here: Interview with Kurt Peterson, Alltech

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio, Dairy, Nutrition, World Dairy Expo

Precision Ag Bytes 10/31

Carrie Muehling

  • AGTools, Inc. has created and launched a brand-new online tool enabling the agriculture industry to improve decision making, reduce waste, and increase revenue. The tool is the first of its kind in the agriculture industry designed to help farmers by providing hard data in real time to food supply chain stakeholders, helping to improve their bottom line.
  • Alltech Crop Science has attained organic certification for three of its products: Specify®, Turn® and Viable®.
  • Florida farmers and ranchers who suffered damage to working lands and livestock mortality due to Hurricane Michael are encouraged to sign up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information on disaster assistance programs for farmers and ranchers, visit farmers.gov/recover.
  • Verdesian Life Sciences has announced the addition of four new vice presidents to lead growing demand for nutrient use efficiency and sales of Verdesian technology solutions across the United States. Alan Sparkman, Jason Radford, Scott Jungman and Pat Mullahey will fill those roles.
  • Vegalab, Inc. recently finalized a Distribution Agreement with AMVAC Mexico for distribution of all-natural biologically derived pesticides, fertilizers and specialty products across Mexico.
  • GMO Answers has updated one of its most popular graphics on plant breeding. The new graphic provides a definition, a list of the 10 GMO crops on the market today in the U.S., and gives a brief overview of some plant breeding techniques.
  • Arysta LifeScience announces the launch of RAZE™ 0-3-2, an advanced foliar nutrition product that promotes more balanced uptake of essential plant nutrients necessary for optimum crop growth and higher yields.
Zimfo Bytes

Deere Celebrates 75 Years of FFA Sponsorship

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere commemorated 75 years of partnership with the National FFA Organization at the 91st annual convention and expo last week in Indianapolis.

To celebrate, John Deere provided a $75,000 contribution to the FFA Living to Serve Platform, as well as a time capsule representing that last 75 years of agriculture to be opened 75 years from now. Sam Allen, Deere & Company chairman and CEO, announced the contribution at the 91st National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, where he was a keynote speaker.

“The Living to Serve Platform inspires FFA members to put leadership into action through service activities and prepare them to be responsible leaders in agriculture and many other professions in the future,” said Allen.

Since it first made a $1,000 contribution in 1943, John Deere has provided funds totaling more than $13 million to the National FFA Organization. Deere sponsors a wide range of FFA activities, including a John Deere dealer scholarship program, the farm business management career development competition, and the international leadership seminar for state officers.

Alex Voichoskie with the Rural Radio Network provided interviews from the Deere presentation for FFA Today. Here is her interview with Allen.

FFA 2018 Alex Voichoskie interviews Deere CEO Sam Allen
Audio, FFA, John Deere

ExEx18 Keynote Stresses U.S. Trade Advantages

Cindy Zimmerman

North America is a leader in both trade and increasing food production for the world, trade needs to grow to provide global food security, trade is already complex so we should work to eliminate unnecessary complexities, and we need to think long term when it comes to trade policy.

Those were four key messages that Roger Watchorn, group leader at Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain North America, presented at Export Exchange 2018 in Minneapolis last week.

“North America continues to be a leader in production technologies and a major player in global trade,” said Watchorn. “One in seven people worldwide depend on global trade for their basic food needs. We connect farmers with those who need our products around the world…and we are ready to meet those needs.”

Export Exchange is a biennial educational and trade forum co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy offering international buyers the opportunity to meet and build relationships with U.S. suppliers of corn, DDGS, sorghum, barley and other commodities.

Listen to Watchorn'[s presentation here and see more from the Export Exchange on AgNewsWire.

Export Exchange 18 presentation Roger Watchorn, Cargill

Export Exchange 2018 Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Exports, Trade

CrystalBlox New Self-fed Cattle Protein Supplement

Cindy Zimmerman

As cow-calf producers prepare for fall and winter feeding conditions, the makers of CRYSTALYX® have launched a new self-fed protein supplement for beef cattle to help improve forage utilization.

CrystalBlox, developed by Ridley Block Operations which is part of the Alltech feed division, is the first supplement of its kind to be brought to the market in nearly 40 years. With a new hybrid form that combines the economical nutrient delivery and fortification of compressed blocks with the consistent and predictable intake of low moisture block technology, CrystalBlox will fit into a wide variety of feeding situations in which protein delivery is critical.

CrystalBlox is designed and formulated to provide supplemental protein to help improve forage utilization by promoting increased forage intake and improved fiber digestibility. In situations where forage crude protein levels are low due to drought or with advanced maturity such as fall and winter forages, CrystalBlox can provide supplemental protein that will help cattle extract more energy and nutrients from forage supplies.

In this edition of the Block Talk Podcast by CRYSTALYX Brand Supplements you can hear Dan Dhuyvetter, director of research and development and director of nutrition services at CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements, discusses how CrystalBlox combines CRYSTALYX and distillers grains to help maintain cow body condition as cattle consume low quality forages.

Listen here:
CRYSTALYX® Block Talk podcast on new block form

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Health, Audio, Feed

Technology Changing Life on the Dairy Farm

Carrie Muehling

Technology is changing the way dairy farmers work, especially when it comes to data. More and more resources are available to collect data on nearly every aspect of a dairy, but with that opportunity comes the challenge of managing that information and using it to make decisions.

“It’s amazing how many new types of data we have on dairy farms,” said Jeff Bewley, Alltech Dairy Specialist. “We have many new technologies to help us monitor variables in the parlor. We have wearable technologies that are kind of like Fit Bits for cows that provide us an opportunity to monitor the behavior of the cow 24 hours per day.”

Bewley said those tools can help dairy producers to better understand and manage the health of their animals. They also help farmers to manage the individual animals instead of just groups or herds of animals. Bewley was at the 2018 World Dairy Expo.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Bewley, Alltech


2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Dairy, World Dairy Expo

Animal Ag Bites 10/29

Carrie Muehling

  • Cargill has developed an industry-first robotic cattle driver aimed at improving animal welfare and employee safety. The robots are designed to move cattle from pens to the harvest area, reducing stress to the animals by minimizing their proximity to human activity. Employees operate the robots from a catwalk located above the pens, reducing safety risks by keeping those who work in the cattle yard portion of processing plants at a greater distance from the 1300-pound animals.
  • O’Fallon, IL-based Brookside Agra will feature several of its innovative products at EuroTier 2018, the world’s leading trade fair for animal production.
  • The USPOULTRY Foundation announces the completion of a funded research project at AviServe LLC in Newark, Del., that has revealed a new tool for controlling reovirus. A complete report may be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website, www.uspoultry.org.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is hosting a Poultry Handling and Transportation “Train the Trainer” Workshop for poultry transporters and catch crews. The workshop is limited to 40 people, and the cost is $150 for USPOULTRY members and $300 for non-members. Please submit your application, along with a letter of recommendation from your supervisor, at www.uspoultryhandling.org.
  • With North Carolina still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Florence, Smithfield Foods committed to invest in infrastructure and provide farmer incentives to install manure lagoon covers and digesters on 90 percent of the total hog finishing capacity in North Carolina, Missouri and Utah over the next ten years.
  • Smithfield Foods has initiated a challenge for Virginia Tech students involved in the student group Commodity Investing by Students, known as COINS, that would reward the top-performing analysts with a yearlong supply of Smithfield bacon.
  • The National Pork Producers Council applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its proposed rule exempting livestock farmers from reporting to state and local authorities the routine emissions from their farms.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites