Sorghum Growers Benefit From Export Exchange 2018

Cindy Zimmerman

Exports are very important to U.S. sorghum growers, so the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) was pleased to take part in Export Exchange 2018 and take a couple of teams on tours.

“We are excited to host the upcoming trade teams and grow our network at Export Exchange 2018 as sorghum exports have represented a large portion of the U.S. sorghum marketplace over the last few years,” said Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director. “The Sorghum Checkoff is dedicated to building strong relationships between buyers and sellers, resulting in continued sorghum sales.”

After Export Exchange concluded Wednesday, the South American delegation headed out to visit export facilities in New Orleans and an ethanol plant and corn and sorghum farms Texas. The Chinese delegation will visit corn and sorghum farms in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas as well as an ethanol plant, local elevators and transloading facilities.

Export Exchange is sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy, allowing these buyers to meet with U.S. sellers of corn, sorghum, barley, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten meal and corn gluten feed.

Learn more in this interview – Export Exchange 18 interview with Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff

Export Exchange 2018 Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Exports, Grains, RFA, sorghum

Garth Brooks Wows National FFA

Cindy Zimmerman

“This isn’t a convention, it’s a freaking PARTY!” That’s what Garth Brooks said at last night’s “private” concert for some 70,000 members, advisors, and supporters at the 91st National FFA Convention. Many of them took to social media to share the experience of seeing the #JustOneFFA and only Garth, who is now an honorary lifetime member of FFA. It was just Day One of the convention, which will conclude on Saturday after an address from President Donald Trump, the first address by a U.S. president since President George H.W. Bush spoke in 1991 and only the fifth to do so in 91 years.

FFA, Social Media

Fighting Mycotoxins in the Field

Carrie Muehling

Dairy farmers must be diligent when it comes to managing mycotoxin levels and reducing the potential effects in feed.

Because mycotoxins are a byproduct of molds found in the field, that is the place to begin. But strobilurin-based fungicides are not always the best answer based on university research, according to Brian Springer, North American Technical Manager with Alltech Crop Science.

“They’ve found that if you go and you get a particular type of fungicide that’s in the strobilurin-based family, then what happens is those mycotoxins react to that, and they actually get worse instead of better. So it actually causes them to go under stress,” said Springer. “We approach with a natural approach from Alltech Crop Science, and we do not trigger that same response.

Springer said farms with a history of high mycotoxin loads need to look at the residue in the fields ahead of time because molds are carried over from one season to the next. Another key time is the growing point during the tassel process, as that’s when mycotoxins actually infect the grain.

Springer was at the 2018 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Brian here: Interview with Brian Springer, Alltech

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

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

ZimmCast 601 – FMC in the Field

Chuck Zimmerman

FMC Agricultural Solutions held a field day at its Sparks, GA research station earlier this month, 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, which is expected to be approved by the end of this year for the 2019 season. You can find a virtual news rooms from the event on AgNewsWire with more interviews and photos: FMC Georgia Field Day

In this week’s program you’ll get to hear from these FMC representatives who did presentations in the field for agricultural retailers.

Ryan Osborn, Southeast Region Business Manager, FMC
David Wheeler, Technical Service Manager, FMC
Matthew Wiggins, Technical Services Manager, FMC
Craig Heim, Senior Technical Service Manager, FMC
Jake Franklin, FMC Research Station Manger
Del Brandenberg Retail Marketing Manager, FMC

And to make the lawyers happy, here is the disclaimer:
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.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 601 - FMC in the Field

The ZimmCast

sponsored by
The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
Locally owned, globally strong.
AgWired Precision, Audio, FMC, Fungicide, Podcasts, ZimmCast

National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center Celebrates 15 Years

Cindy Zimmerman

NCERC at SIUE receives ethanol industry Award of Excellence in 2015

The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) is celebrating 15 years of biofuels research this month.

The Illinois Corn Growers Association was instrumental in fostering development of the Center in 2003 and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has worked closely with NCERC since its inception and continues partnering on various projects.

NCERC Executive Director John Caupert says they are committed to assisting in finding new homes, for new bushels of corn, with new market opportunities. “NCERC was an early leader in transforming corn into dozens of renewable compounds, including biofuels, biochemicals, biomaterials and bioproducts,” said Caupert. “The NCERC has directly contributed to the growth of the ethanol industry, helping grow ethanol production in the United States from 2.8 billion gallons annually to the nearly 16 billion gallons of production today,”

Caupert adds that NCERC has assisted in advancements in fuel ethanol production, moving more than 65 products and technologies into the commercial marketplace that are now being utilized in every commercial corn ethanol plant operating today. The center received the ethanol industry Award of Excellence at the 2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.

Corn, Ethanol, NCGA

Precision Ag Bytes 10/24

Carrie Muehling

  • During the month of October, as part of its Sakata Gives Corporate Giving Program, Sakata Seed America participated in two walks to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the American Heart Association. Overall, roughly 110 Sakata employees participated in the two walks and raised over $4,900 for the cause.
  • Thousands of 4-H youth from across the country will experience valuable hands-on learning opportunities as a result of Tractor Supply’s Paper Clover Campaign. The biannual fundraiser, held in partnership with National 4-H Council, collectively raised $1,999,661 in 2018 through donations made with purchases in store and online.
  • HELM Agro US, Inc. announced that the California Department of Pesticide Regulations has approved Helmstar Plus SC fungicide for use on selected crops in that state.
  • Rice farmers in the South can better manage for increased profitability by taking advantage of 0% APR financing on Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia rice seed and BASF crop protection products under a new program utilizing the Multi-Use Account offered through John Deere Financial.
  • The Illinois Farm Bureau was honored for its ongoing sustainability and nutrient loss reduction efforts as a winner of the 2018 Sustainability Award. The award, which recognizes private and public Illinois organizations and businesses who have implemented outstanding and innovating sustainable techniques or technologies, is given by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Export Exchange Furthers USGC Mission

Cindy Zimmerman

The chairman of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is optimistic about the growth of export markets for grains and ethanol co-products such as distllers grains (DDGS).

“In the 2017-18 marketing year, the U.S. set a new record for exports of feed grains and co-products for the second year in a row,” said USGC chair Jim Stitzlein, manager of market development for Consolidated Grain and Barge Co, in his welcome address to Export Exchange 2018 in Minneapolis Tuesday.

Stitzlein says the biennial Export Exchange is an excellent opportunity for U.S. grain suppliers to meet with interested buyers and build relationships, which furthers the mission of USGC to develop new markets for agricultural products. The event is co-sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy.

Listen to Stitzlein’s welcome and an interview with him from Export Exchange:

Export Exchange 18 welcome from USGC chair Jim Stitzlein

ExEx18 interview with USGC chair Jim Stitzlein, Consolidated Grain and Barge

Export Exchange 2018 Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Exports, Grains, USGC

Meet Cargill’s Cowboy Robot

Cindy Zimmerman

Cargill has developed the first ever robotic cattle driver to improve both 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 safer distance.

Using waving automated arms, blowers and audio recordings to move cattle in a desired direction, the robots can operate in rain, snow or mud, with no delay in daily operations. Testing was conducted at Cargill’s Wyalusing, Penn., and Schuyler, Neb., beef processing facilities to determine a design and operational attributes of the robot that would effectively improve animal welfare and employee safety before being implemented at the company’s U.S. and Canadian beef plants.

The robotic cattle drivers are currently being implemented at Cargill Protein beef plants in the U.S. and Canada and are manufactured by the New Jersey-based company Flock Free, which is primarily a company focused on bird control for various industries.

Learn more about the Cowboy Robot from Cargill and watch it at work in this video –


AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Animal Agriculture, Livestock, Video

Export Exchange 2018 is Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

More than 200 international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products from some 35 countries are in Minneapolis this week for Export Exchange 2018.

The biennial educational and trade forum, co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy, offers attendees an unparalleled opportunity to meet and build relationships with domestic suppliers of corn, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, barley and other commodities.

In addition to networking opportunities, USGC CEO Tom Sleight says Exchange attendees will be briefed on the global supply and demand situation, food safety regulations, agribusiness, the current U.S. policy environment and more. “We’re in a really strong, competitive situation right now for feed grains and that’s really fueling us,” said Sleight.

This is the fifth Export Exchange conference since 2010 and RFA chief economist Scott Richman says it is a very important event for increasing exports of the ethanol co-product DDGS. “These are a lot of our customers in some of the key destinations for exports of distillers grains for the U.S. ethanol industry,” said Richman.

Listen to or download interviews with both Sleight and Richman below:

Export Exchange 18 interview with Tom Sleight, USGC

Export Exchange 18 interview with Scott Richman, RFA

Export Exchange 2018 Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Exports, Grains, RFA, USGC

Animal Ag Bites 10/22

Carrie Muehling

  • The dairy checkoff has awarded 13 academic scholarships to students enrolled in programs that emphasize dairy and who have shown potential to become future dairy leaders. The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, through Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff, annually awards $2,500 scholarships to each student. In addition, the NDB awards a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient.
  • Jeff Wilkerson, a long-time industry expert in livestock sales and marketing, has announced a new independent venture under the company name Wilkerson Solutions.
  • Hiland Dairy Foods Company received 16 awards in dairy product categories during the 2018 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest.
  • News on the trade front is getting better for U.S. pork producers as the Trump administration announced it wants to negotiate trade agreements with the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom. The National Pork Producers Council commended the administration for its ambitious trade agenda.
  • Swanson Russell has been selected as agency of record for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites