Ethanol Stakeholders Welcome E15 Announcement

Cindy Zimmerman

Christmas came very early this year for ethanol stakeholders who have been pressing for sales of E15 to be allowed year round, as President Trump announced he was instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate a rulemaking process that would extend the summer Reid Vapor Pressure waiver to E15.

“What it really means is that we’re helping our farmers,” said President Trump to reporters asking questions as he arrived in the Midwest for a rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa – adding that “there is no negative impact” on the environment by allowing E15 to be sold all year. “In fact, there are those that say, you do this and the air is cleaner, I agree with that,” Trump said. Pres. Trump comments on E15 to reporters

Following the announcement, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor hosted a telephone press conference with Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis, Iowa ethanol producer Delayne Johnson with Quad County Corn Processors, and E15 retailer Mike Lorenz, Sheetz.

Listen to or download here – Growth Energy E15 press conference

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings thanked the president for making good on his promise and asked EPA to work quickly on rulemaking. “The President’s decision will not prevent Big Oil from stonewalling year-round E15, so we encourage Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to expeditiously publish a legally-defensible approach for extending RVP relief to E15 in the Federal Register for public comment and to finalize the rule before the 2019 low-RVP season kicks-in.”

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Geoff Cooper says the announcement should help expand availability of E15 nationwide. “This is the right signal to the marketplace at just the right time, as both farmers and renewable fuel producers desperately need new market opportunities and sources of demand.”

RFA Chairman Neil Koehler, CEO of Pacific Ethanol, was featured on Fox Business just as the announcement was made official. “It’s very positive for our business, we are the world’s sixth largest ethanol producer,” said Koehler, as the company’s stock ticker was shown heading up. “Now we have a growth story because of this announcement.”

“It’s about market share, and limiting ethanol to ten percent blends has been, in effect, restraint of trade,” said Koehler, in an interview with AgWired. Interview with RFA chair Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol

Koehler added that the announcement was great news also for American farmers, and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Lynn Chrisp agrees.

“Earlier this year, the President correctly described this barrier as ‘unnecessary’ and ‘ridiculous’,” said Chrisp. “The President also faced pressure to fix this regulatory problem through a bad deal that would have been harmful to farmers. He made the right decision to move this common-sense regulatory relief on its own, and farmers are very grateful.”

ACE, Audio, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

GROWMARK Youth Programs Support 4-H and FFA

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s National Cooperative Month, it’s also National 4-H Week, and it is the month that National FFA holds its huge annual meeting. In celebration of all that, we talked with Karen Jones, GROWMARK Youth and Young Producer Specialist, about how this agricultural cooperative supports the young people involved in 4H and FFA.

“GROWMARK has been a longtime financial supporter of both the FFA and 4H organizations,” said Jones. “We believe that the members of those groups may be our future employees or future co-op members, and definitely future leaders in both arenas.”

One program that GROWMARK has had in place for 26 years now is the annual essay contest for FFA members in states served by the cooperative. “We’re excited because we added Missouri two years ago and we added Ohio this year, so now we are up to five states,” said Jones. The theme for the 2019 contest just announced is “What does the future of agriculture look like to you, and what skills will you need to play a part in it?”

Among the ways GROWMARK supports 4-H is the Pollinator Garden Program. “We provide pollinator seed and some education about the importance of pollinators and the students do a community service project through their club to plant and maintain these plots,” said Jones.

Learn more about GROWMARK’s youth commitment in this interview. Interview with Karen Jones, GROWMARK

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Cooperatives, FFA, GROWMARK

Toasting Legacy of Pearse Lyons at #WDE18

Cindy Zimmerman

The legacy of Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder of Alltech who passed away earlier this year, was remembered at World Dairy Expo last week in Madison.

“He had a passion for agriculture, he had a passion for the dairy industry,” said Alltech US Dairy Sales Manager Dan Weiland. “It’s up to us, the people of Alltech, to maintain that type of passion but continue to drive it with solutions, new technologies, and new programs as we move forward.”

During an Alltech reception at World Dairy Expo, Weiland talked about the impact Dr. Lyons has had on the dairy industry and toasted his memory, along with Pearse’s son Dr. Mark Lyons, who is now president of Alltech.

In this interview, Weiland also commented on trends Alltech is seeing in the dairy industry and what Alltech provides to help producers focus on efficiency during a down market. Interview with Dan Weiland, Alltech

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

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

Ethanol Report on the New RFA

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association entered a new chapter at the annual October membership meeting in Kansas City, as Geoff Cooper officially became RFA’s new President and CEO and Bob Dinneen began his new role as Senior Strategic Advisor, according to the succession plan announced in July.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we hear from both about their new roles and other changes at RFA. In addition, both comment on what the expected announcement from President Trump today on moving forward with year-round E15 will mean for the ethanol industry.

Ethanol Report on the New RFA

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Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA

FMC Georgia Field Day Spotlights Lucento for Peanuts

Cindy Zimmerman

FMC Agricultural Solutions held a field day at its Sparks, GA research station last week, hosted by the FMC technical service team with a plot tour, presentations and certification training.

In particular, the FMC technical service team showcased new Lucento™ fungicide for the 2019 season, pending EPA approval. The new fungicide, which is expected to be approved by the end of the year, can be used on a variety of crops but since the field day was being held in peanut country, that was a big focus.

“We’ve been known as mainly a Midwest company, for corn and soybean growers,” said FMC Regional Technical Service Manager Bruce Stripling. “Now, we’re focusing on that Southeast grower that has peanuts, especially in a state like Georgia.”

Stripling says Lucento offers peanut growers flexibility. “He’s not going to be tied to one company from the standpoint of what he can spray on his peanuts,” he added. “We’ve got a product that is shining from the standpoint of leaf spot control and soil borne control for Southern white mold.”

Learn more about Lucento for peanut growers here: Bruce Stripling, Regional Technical Service Manager, FMC

2018 FMC Georgia Field Day Photo Album

Lucento fungicide is not registered for sale or use in the United States. No offer for sale, sale or use of this product is permitted prior to issuance of the required EPA and state registrations.

AgWired Precision, Audio, FMC, Fungicide, Peanuts

Animal Ag Bites 10/8

Carrie Muehling

  • ESTROTECT™ announced the release of the new ESTROTECT™ Breeding Indicator. It’s the first product of its kind to serve a variety of uses, including heat detection, confirming pregnancies, identifying potential embryonic loss and pinpointing timing for various modern AI and breeding protocols.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced that its 2019 Stakeholders Summit, themed “A Seat At The Table,” is set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Missouri. Registration for the Summit will open later this year.
  • Allflex Livestock Intelligence announced the launch of the Allflex Young Stock dedicated health monitoring application for newborn calves up to six months old. It also announced the introduction of SenseHub, the new version of its SenseTime modular cow monitoring solution.
  • Huvepharma® announces the release of a conditional licensed vaccine for the prevention of pinkeye caused by Moraxella bovoculi in cattle. Pairing this bacterin with AgriLabs’ well-known vaccine, I-Site XP®, for the prevention of pinkeye caused by M. bovis, veterinarians will expand cattle raisers prevention protocol for optimal coverage of this disease. Both vaccines will be supported through AgriLabs®, a Huvepharma Company.
  • Registration and housing for the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade show is now open. The annual convention will be held in New Orleans, La., Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2019. To register and secure housing for the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, visit www.beefusa.org.
  • Northeast influencers got an inside look at Pennsylvania’s Veal Industry through the “Raising Today’s Veal” tour hosted September 18-19, in Souderton, PA. This tour was made possible by the Pennsylvania Beef Council and the checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, with funding support from the Kentucky Beef Council.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for 2019-2020 beef industry scholarships sponsored by CME Group. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry.
  • This week, the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition submitted public testimony to the Bureau of Land Management on the current state of our nation’s rangelands.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. board chairman Pete Kappelman was named Dairyman of the Year by the World Dairy Expo this week in Madison, Wis. Kappelman, of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, owns and operates Meadow Brook Dairy and will celebrate 23 years of service on the Land O’Lakes board in early 2019.
  • Julie Veldhuis has joined Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative as a member services representative.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is hosting its fifth annual National Anthem contest. The winner will receive a free trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2019. Entries are being accepted through Oct. 19, 2018. Top four finalists will be chosen by Oct. 26, 2018, and videos will be posted to the convention website at www.convention.beefusa.org.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation announced several staff changes. Chris Galen, NMPF’s long-time head of communications, is assuming a new role as Senior Vice President of Member Services and Strategic Initiatives. Alan Bjerga joins NMPF as its new Senior Vice President of Communications. Jaime Castaneda will become Senior Vice President of Policy Strategy and International Trade. Nicole Ayache has joined National Milk as Director of Sustainability Initiatives.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Deere Showcases New Forage Harvesters at #WDE18

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere showcased its new 9000 Series Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters (SPFH) at the 2018 World Dairy Expo last week in Madison, Wisconsin.

The high-capacity forage harvesters announced in August provide up to 400 tons of throughput per hour, along with optimum corn silage processing that’s independent of the length of cut.

“We get ten percent more productivity per horsepower while consuming ten percent less fuel per ton of crop, as well as increasing kernel processing scores by ten percent,” said Deanna Kovar, John Deere Director of Production & Precision Ag Marketing. “Lots of new and exciting things to help make better feed for the cows.”

Learn more about the new harvesters in this interview with Deanna –
Interview with Deanna Kovar, John Deere

John Deere at 2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy, Equipment, Feed, Forage, Harvest, John Deere, Livestock, World Dairy Expo

ZimmCast 599 – BASF Cotton and Soybean Business

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF is in high cotton since the acquisition of Stoneville and Fiber Max as a result of the Bayer-Monsanto deal, as well as soybean varieties such as Credenz and Liberty Link. This is a new field for BASF but along with the brands came many specialists from Bayer who know the products well.

Over the past month, Chuck has been to several field days and events spotlighting the BASF cotton and soybean brands so we are featuring some of the interviews he has done in this ZimmCast. You will hear from:

Rachel Walters, BASF Cottonseed Marketing Manager
Jerry Ford, regional seed lead for the South Delta region.
Kyle Fontenot, Delta regional agronomist
Monty Christian, Head of Global Cottonseed for BASF
Lance Rochelle, BASF regional seed lead in Arkansas, Missouri
Steve Nichols, US Agronomic Services Manager
Malin Westfall, U.S. Cotton Lead for BASF

There are virtual news rooms from each event on AgNewsWire with all content.
BASF Texas Field Day
BASF Arkansas Field Day
BASF Celebrate Cotton 2018
BASF Louisiana Field Day

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 599 - BASF Cotton and Soybean Business

The ZimmCast

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The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
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BASF, Cotton, Podcasts, Soybean, ZimmCast

Opportunities Outweigh Challenges in Dairy Industry

Carrie Muehling

Pennsylvania native Jeff Harding describes himself as a newcomer to Hubbard Feeds, but he is excited about expanding the brand further into the northeastern United States, where Alltech is already well established.

The dairy technical specialist said there are some things that set Hubbard Feeds apart from its competitors.

“In many ways, it’s our people,” said Harding. “I think one of the unique opportunities we have is to come at our customers with more of a team approach maybe than some of our competitors do. They do that for some of their very biggest customers. But I think we’ve got a really strong network of a technical group within Hubbard, we’ve got calf and heifer specialists, we’ve got nutritionists, we’ve got business people.”

Harding said the union with Alltech also gives Hubbard Feeds access to additional resources that are key in a constantly changing environment. He acknowledged that dairy producers are experiencing tough times, but believes they are adapting with the help of companies like Hubbard, who continue to bring solutions to customers.

He believes the future of the dairy industry will include more consolidation at a higher level, and more research and technology. While the opportunities will continue to change, he is confident they will continue to exist in the dairy industry. Harding was at the 2018 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Harding, Hubbard Feeds

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album


Content Creation from World Dairy Expo is sponsored by Content Creation from the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Alltech  Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Hubbard Feeds
AgWired Animal, Audio, Dairy, World Dairy Expo

New America’s Pig Farmer of the Year Named

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Pork Board has named Patrick Bane, a pig farmer from Arrowsmith, Illinois, as America’s Pig Farmer of the Year for 2018. The award recognizes a pig farmer who excels at raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and who connects with today’s consumers about how pork is produced.

Raising pigs has been a life-long passion for Bane, whose family has been raising pigs for three generations. Bane raises 74,000 pigs on his farm in central Illinois, where he focuses on protecting public health, hiring the best people and maintaining herd health.

“It’s our responsibility to show the public that we are doing the right things to care for our animals and keep them healthy,” Bane said. “We need to foster an increased understanding about how food is raised using today’s modern technology. It’s not only good for us as farmers, but it’s good for consumers. You can’t drive that point home enough. We have a lot of good, positive stories to share.”

Bane was named America’s Pig Farmer of the Year following a third-party audit of his on-farm practices and after taking part in a series of written and oral interviews by subject-matter experts. He has achieved excellence in all aspects of pig farming, including animal care, environmental stewardship, employee work environment and outstanding community service.


AgWired Animal, Pork, Pork Checkoff, Video