Over $150,000 Raised for WEDA Foundations

Cindy Zimmerman

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.”

Click to read more from WEDA.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Equipment

Eco World Group Announces Patent Allowance

Cindy Zimmerman

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.

AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag Bites 12/24

Carrie Muehling

  • 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.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Happy Holidays from NAMA

Chuck Zimmerman

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.

NAMA

Happy Deer Hunting

Chuck Zimmerman

A couple of the members of the Crystal Pig Hunt Club are happy this season. My little tiny brother Paul harvested the nicest buck we’ve brought to camp last week. Of course there is a story to this because that’s just part of deer hunting.

In this case, Paul saw this 8 pt. buck from his stand about 200 yards or so across a creek and partially uphill in the middle of the nastiest mess of thorn vines and bushes you’ve ever seen. In fact, the whole hillside and a big part of our property is covered with this crap. Someday the pines will get big enough to shade them out. But from the time he went to find the deer with me in his stand guiding him by arm gestures to the time the deer was in the back of the Can-Am Defender we’re test driving it took almost 2 1/2 hours! I think I still have some splinters in my body. The last leg of the journey out of the thickets was over the creek and for that we used the Warn winch on the Can-Am. I don’t know if we would have been successful without it. And I would never get a utility vehicle without one for sure.

So, we got Paul’s buck back to camp and he had just started cleaning it when I walked back under our pole barn and saw another buck about 120 yards from camp! I had to run back to the Can-Am to get my rifle out of the case that’s mounted on the vehicle. Got back to the barn and he was still there. So, bam, I got a 5 pt. And let’s just say it was not hard getting him back to camp. LOL. All in all that’s what I call a happy deer hunt.

We’re going to be back at the Pig after Christmas when my nephews can be there and all of the CPHC team. We’ll continue putting this Can-Am Defender through its paces, especially since there has been so much rain and we’ve got some muddy places to drive through.

Photos from Crystal Pig Hunt Club 2018 Hunt

Can-Am, Hunting

Zimfo Bytes 12/21

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Corn Growers Association Nominating Committee reminds interested members that it is now accepting applications for the 2020 Corn Board. Click here for the application.
  • The American Soybean Association Board of Directors elected its governing committee this week during the annual winter board meeting in St. Louis, and new board members immediately began their terms. Davie Stephens of Clinton, Ky., will serve as 2019 ASA president.
  • The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research announced nine early-career faculty members as recipients of the 2018 New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award.
  • The 35th class of American Soybean Association Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont Young Leaders recently began their leadership journey at the Corteva Agriscience Global Business Center in Johnston, Iowa.
  • Farmers Business Network announced FBN Health, a multi-state healthcare network for farmers, their families and their farm employees, giving farmers access to more affordable healthcare options, designed just for them.
  • FLM Harvest announces Marianne Smith Edge has joined its Board of Advisors.
  • Charleston|Orwig announces the promotion of four team members in both creative and client services. Sarah Mielke is promoted to art director. Macyn Gillespie is promoted to copywriter. Kelly Vento is promoted to art director and will continue her work across several clients, including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Soil Health Partnership and Vytelle. Cassie Yontz steps up to become an account supervisor, continuing her work with the Illinois Soybean Association and Dairyland Seed accounts while adding the University of Illinois Foundation activities to her responsibilities.
  • 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.
Zimfo Bytes

President Trump Signs Farm Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump gave Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue a happy birthday Thursday when he signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 with many members of the agricultural community in attendance.

“Mr. President, it is a great birthday present not only for me, but for all of agriculture, to give the producers, the ranchers, and farmers across America the peace of mind,” said Perdue. “Going forward, they can make their plans in 2019; make their lenders and bankers proud of what they can plan for.”

President Trump said, “With the passage of the Farm Bill, we are delivering to the farmers and ranchers, who are the heart and soul of America, all sorts of things that they never even thought possible. We are ensuring that American agriculture will always feed our families, nourish our communities, power our commerce, and inspire our nation.”

Listen to remarks at the signing here: Remarks by Pres. Trump and Secy Perdue at farm bill signing

Among those privileged to witness the farm bill signing was Mick Henderson, general manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy in Kentucky and past chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), who says the new farm bill gives his ethanol plant owners some certainty going forward.

“Our business is 100 percent farmer-owned,” said Henderson. “Just crop insurance is critical for a farmer trying to handle the risk and that means a lot to our farmer owners.”

Henderson talks about the importance of the farm bill and the year that corn farmers and ethanol producers have had in this interview.
Interview with Mick Henderson, Commonwealth Agri-Energy, on farm bill signing

Audio, Ethanol, Farm Bill, RFA

Bayer Seed Treatments Fight Cotton Pests

Carrie Muehling

Cotton growers continue to look to Bayer for its strong fungicide product line and industry leading seed treatments. While some crop protection products for cotton have failed due to resistance issues, Aeris continues to perform well with two modes of action to fight against insect damage.

“Anything you can do to get that crop off to a good start leads to a higher yield potential for cotton,” said Chip Graham, Bayer Seed Treatment Technician.

Graham said Velum Total is another product that is helping cotton growers, particularly in Texas and Georgia where nematode pressure is also high. Graham said these products proved benefit even under perfect weather conditions, but they really shine when adverse weather creates challenges for the crop. Graham was at the 2018 American Seed Trade Association CSS and Seed Expo in Chicago.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Chip here: Interview with Chip Graham, Bayer Seed Treatment technician

Bayer at ASTACSS18 Photo Album

2018 ASTA CSS Photo Album

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Bayer, Cotton