Research Positive for Lamb Industry

Carrie Muehling

The future for the U.S. lamb industry is bright, according to Ohio sheep producer Jim Percival, current chair of the American Lamb Board.

“One of the big things that our research has showed us is that the Millennials are truly lovers of lamb,” said Percival. “They like the adventurous eating part of lamb. They like that taste. They love the texture. They love the fact that lamb is juicy and good and they like the portion sizes. With lamb you’re getting a little bit different there, and they like the nutritious benefits, also.”

Percival said U.S. demand for lamb is growing by about two percent each year, and the export market to Japan recently opened up for the first time since the BSE scare several years ago. He said lamb is a diverse, premium protein that is also extremely lean. Percival participated in Trade Talk at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Jim here: NAFB18 Interview with Jim Percival, American Lamb Board chair

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Audio, Lamb, NAFB, Sheep

ARA Installs New Chairman

Cindy Zimmerman

Troy Johnson of Wilbur-Ellis was installed as new chairman of the Agricultural Retailers Association during the closing session of the 2018 ARA Conference and Expo in Boca Raton, Florida this week.

Johnson succeeds John Oster of Morral Companies in the position. Pictured here left to right are Oster, Johnson, and ARA CEO Daren Coppock.

Johnson shared with attendees his commitment to the association for the coming year, outlining goals that include continuing to strengthen and broaden the membership and keeping the association’s mission front and center in all activities. “I could not be more proud of what ARA accomplishes each year on behalf of its membership,” said Johnson. “Protecting ag retailers’ freedom to operate is what ARA is all about. I am committed to ensuring that everything we do is representative of the entire agricultural retail industry.”

Listen to or download an interview with Johnson here: Interview with new ARA chairman Troy Johnson, Wilbur-Ellis

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, ARA, Audio

Zimfo Bytes 11/30

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that two U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories have received USDA’s Excellence in BioPreferred Procurement Awards for Fiscal Year 2018 for testing and adopting biobased products within their operations. The laboratories receiving the awards are the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Lawrence, California.
  • The Soil Health Partnership has tapped Dr. Maria Bowman, a notable and experienced agricultural and resource economist, for the new position of Lead Scientist. Her role will be significant, guiding the organization in building a unique and extensive U.S. database of soil health samples from working farms, analyzing them, and drawing conclusions that could impact agriculture for decades to come.
  • The 2019 Commodity Classic will be held Thursday, February 28 through Saturday, March 2 in Orlando, Fla. Registration and housing for the 2019 Commodity Classic is now open. To register, reserve hotel rooms and sign up for email updates, visit CommodityClassic.com. Early bird discounts on registration end January 10, 2019.
  • The Charlie Daniels Band will provide the Evening of Entertainment at the 2019 Commodity Classic. The band will perform Saturday night to close the three-day event which attracts thousands of America’s top farmers and agricultural advocates.
  • Swanson Russell recently promoted four people in its Lincoln and Omaha offices: Shelton Crouch, Courtney Geyer, Morgan Nebbia and Katie Scherer.
  • Farmers across the U.S. are harvesting the highest ever overall yields for Pioneer brand corn hybrids, despite variable and unexpected weather conditions through the 2018 season. Multiple products delivered double-digit yield advantages over the competition due to a strengthened testing and screening process as well as continued investments in research.
  • Make plans to attend the 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend.
  • Several members of the Brownfield Ag News team were honored during the 75th Annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention held in Kansas City, Missouri November 7–9, 2018. Brownfield farm broadcasters did well in the NAFB program competition, including Video Feature Award First Place: Shannon Yokley; Newscast Second Place: Ken Anderson; and Newscast Third Place: Tom Steever. Shannon Yokley was elected to the NAFB Board of Directors as Director for the Southern Region.
Zimfo Bytes

BASF Offers New Trait System in Credenz Varieties

Carrie Muehling

A new herbicide trait system in soybeans from BASF will offer flexibility and yield advantages to growers in 2019.

LibertyLink GT27 will be available in 13 different Credenz soybean varieties, said Marc Hoobler, BASF Soybean Agronomy Lead.

“Yield is probably the most important thing that growers look for,” said Hoobler. “We’re seeing a yield advantage from two to four bushels over existing trait systems. So we’re very pleased with the elite genetics that are coming out of the program and that we’re able to offer growers throughout the Midwest. The second thing is just the flexibliy that the herbicide tolerance within the system provides. So, for the first time ever growers can choose whether they want to use Liberty herbicide or glyphosate post-emerge.”

Hoobler said BASF is looking to add a third product to the trait package called Elite 27, which will offer tolerance to the HPPD class of chemistries. That product is not yet registered for use in soybeans. Hoobler was at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Marc here: NAFB18 Interview with Marc Hoobler, BASF

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, NAFB

USDA Under Secretary Northey at #ARA2018

Cindy Zimmerman

Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service Bill Northey discussed trade and a 2018 farm bill, among other topics, during a visit to the 2018 Agricultural Retailers Association convention this week in Boca Raton, Florida.

“I’m very hopeful,” said Northey about getting a farm bill by the end of the year, especially after word Thursday from House and Senate agriculture committee leadership that they have reached an agreement on a bill.

On the trade front, Northey talked about the second round of trade mitigation payments approved by the president to offset export disruptions caused by retaliatory tariffs, and whether changes will be made in the payment structure used for the first round. “We’re within a very few weeks of being able to make an announcement,” said Northey, who said they are looking at potential changes. “It’s imperfect, but what’s important is that the president and secretary said we are going to try and soften the blow as best we can.”

USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service Bill Northey –
USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey comments at #ARA2018

USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey interview at #ARA2018

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, ARA, Audio, Farm Bill, Trade, USDA

Willards Honored by ARA for Service

Cindy Zimmerman

At the 2018 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Convention this week, Billy and Bob Willard were honored with the ARA Distinguished Service Award for their support for ARA and the agricultural retail industry.

“Willard Agri-Service is the gold standard for ag retailers,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock, who presented the award which honors individual members of the association who have provided support above and beyond that of the traditional member and volunteer responsibilities.

Billy, who serves as CEO for Willard Agri-Service, was unable to attend the ARA Convention this week so his father and company founder De Willard accepted the award for him with Bob, past chairman of ARA and chairman of the Willard Agri-Service Board of Directors. Pictured are Bob, De, and Coppock.

Audio – Bob Willard, 2018 ARA Distinguished Service award winner

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, ARA, Audio

GROWMARK Recognized by HIRE Vets Medallion Program

Carrie Muehling


GROWMARK is a 2018 recipient of the HIRE Vets Medallion Program Demonstration Award from the Department of Labor. The award goes to employers that have done a successful job of recruiting and supporting the veterans on their workforce.

GROWMARK’s application included ways the company attracts and supports veterans, like having an internal military support group and military friendly leave policies. The award also takes hiring numbers into account, as veterans make up about five percent of the current workforce at GROWMARK – approximately 150 out of 3,000 employees. Last year about 7.5% of the company’s new hires were veterans with hopes to grow that number, according to Aubrey Bastien, senior talent acquisition and member employment manager.

“GROWMARK is a great home and the FS System is a great home for veterans. Our opportunities are endless and for us, so far, it has been a really good fit and home and we treat them well and we’ll do what we can to make sure that they can really find a home here long term,” said Bastien.

Bastien said tuition assistance is also available to help veterans to pursue continuing education, and GROWMARK offers career services to help build a resume or prepare for an interview. She said the company often connects with local groups like Student Veterans of America and participates in networking nights where recruiters will have dinner with ROTC members or student veterans to let them know about opportunities at GROWMARK.

Listen to Carrie’s interview with Aubrey here: Interview with Aubrey Bastien, GROWMARK

Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

ARA Lifetime Award Goes to Yargus

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) presented Larry Yargus with its highest individual honor this year, the Jack Eberspacher Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1992, Yargus acquired Layco, the company his father Lloyd Allen Yargus founded, and led the company’s transition to Yargus Manufacturing, Inc. “Not only has Larry led his family business to major success, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but he has played a pivotal role in helping to guide ARA to be the strong organization it is today,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock.

Established in 2001, the ARA Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed in 2010 after the late Jack Eberspacher, who served as ARA President and CEO from 2001 until his death in 2009. The award is designed to recognize career-spanning achievements in and contributions to the agricultural retail industry.

Listen to Yargus’ remarks here –
Remarks from Larry Yargus, 2018 ARA Lifetime Achievement award

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, ARC, Audio

Simplot Grower Solutions is ARA Retailer of the Year

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) has named Simplot Grower Solutions its 2018 Retailer of the Year.

The award is sponsored by Bayer and AgPro Magazine and is recognized as a symbol of quality and prestige within the industry. This coveted award honors an ag retailer, large or small, that represents the best of the best. Simplot Grower Solutions, the retail arm of the J.R. Simplot company, was started in 1945 as Simplot Soil Builders and has grown over the last 70-plus years into one of North America’s premier ag retailers.

Simplot Grower Solutions provides customers with expert advice and products for hundreds of crops, multiple cropping systems, and a wide variety of soil types. “We are thrilled to receive this award,” said Dave Dufault, vice president of the JR Simplot Company. “The commitment and dedication of our employees shines through in everything we do, and to be recognized for that is a true honor.”

ARA18 Interview with Dave Dufault, J.R. Simplot

Mark Helt, Bayer U.S. strategic accounts lead presented the award. “The honorees have been leaders in not only their business, but also in their communities and in our industry. I have witnessed firsthand how the Simplot Grower Solutions team build remarkable trusting relationships and truly care about their customers, employees, suppliers and their community.”

In this interview, Helt talks about how Bayer is carrying on this Monsanto legacy sponsorship with ARA. ARA18 Interview with Mark Helt, Bayer U.S. strategic accounts

2018 ARA Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, ARA, Audio, Bayer, Precision Agriculture

Expanding the Seed Treatment Approach

Carrie Muehling

Bayer’s Acceleron Seed Applied Solutions Group wants to take farmers beyond the traditional approach to using seed treatments, which usually includes only fungicide and insecticide products.

“Within Acceleron, we think we can really elevate from that two-part approach to a more holistic, more complete four-part approach,” said AJ Hohmann, U.S. Marketing Manager for the Acceleron group. “Obviously, we’ve got fungicides and we’ve got insecticides, but we also have a really large offering of biologicals underneath our Acceleron BioAg umbrella, as well as elevating nematicides.”

Bayer will launch Nemastrike Technology in 2019, offering 75-day control. That means killing two or possibly three life cycles of nematodes. It also controls a wide variety of nematodes that goes far beyond Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN). The technology will be available not only for soybeans, but also for corn and cotton. It is approved commercially for growers to use in 2019. Hohmann was at the 2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention in Kansas City.

We’ll learn more about Bayer Seed Applied Solutions at the upcoming ASTA 2018 CSS and Seed Expo.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with AJ here: NAFB18 Interview with AJ Hohmann, Bayer

2018 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, NAFB