Ag Communicators Network Holds Regional Workshop

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEA, the Agricultural Communicators Network held a Midwest Regional Workshop at CHS headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, MN. The workshop was very well attended with an estimated 60 people filling the room to learn tips and techniques for improving their professional skills.

I was only able to attend the first session, “A Guide to More Effective Writing: Finding Your Voice.” The presenter was Stephen Wilbers. Wilbers not only talked about writing improvement but also had us doing exercises like proofreading examples on his handouts. I have pledged to only single space after a period from now on.

ACN, Media

Bayer Announces 2019 Youth Ag Summit in Brazil

Cindy Zimmerman

Bayer is now accepting applications for the fourth edition of the Youth AgVocate Summit, which will take place November 4-9, 2019, in Brasília, Brazil. The event has been held every other year since 2013.

Several participants from the 2017 YAS in Belgium attended last week’s Future of Farming Dialogue in Germany and Netherlands. Four joined moderator Simon Pampena for a panel at Wageningen University. Left to right, we heard from Magnus Kamau Lindhart – Denmark/Colombia; Maurizio Chiurazzi – Italy; Luke Bloomfield – United Kingdom; Florine Kremer – Netherlands.

Listen here: Youth Ag Summit panel

The Youth Ag Summit brings together 100 young talents aged 18 to 25 from across the globe to develop solutions and answers to one of society’s most challenging questions: how to feed a hungry planet in a more sustainable manner.

Also at the Dialogue was Shafina Hossain, who represented Bengladesh at the 2017 Summit and is a member of the Next Gen Council. She spoke about reducing post-harvest loss for Bangledesh farmers – Shafinaz Hossain, Youth Ag Summit 2017

Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 Photo Album

Audio, Bayer

Animal Ag Bites 9/24

Carrie Muehling

  • Louie DeBoer recently joined the Vita Plus Columbus team as a dairy specialist. Based in Columbus, Wisconsin, DeBoer will provide nutrition and management expertise to help dairy producers reach their production goals.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., in which researchers created a new rapid method to develop infectious bronchitis vaccines. The research was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Fieldale Farms and is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing.
  • Attendee registration and general housing for the 2019 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is now open. For more information and to register for the 2019 IPPE, visit www.ippexpo.org.
  • Michigan Milk Producers Association, a dairy farmer-owned cooperative and dairy producer serving more than 1,700 farmers in the Midwest, plans to add a new 7,500-square-foot processing area to its existing facility. The project is expected to generate a total investment of $24 million and create 11 jobs. Michigan was chosen over a competing site in Indiana.
  • The 7th Annual World Food Championships, presented by Walmart, is preparing for its 2018 main event in November. In a few short months, over 1,500 chefs and home cooks from 41 states and 14 countries will meet at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama to battle it out for more than $350,000 in cash and prizes.
  • A talent in poetry will win one cattleman or woman a trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, La., Jan. 30–Feb. 1, 2019. The Cowboy Poetry Contest, being coordinated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and sponsored by IMI Global, is accepting entries until Oct. 19, 2018. For more information and to enter, go to www.ncba.org, then click on conventions and events/Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites, Beef, Dairy, Poultry

ZimmCast from 2018 NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

This week the ZimmCast, sponsored by GROWMARK, will focus on the 2018 National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference.

With 195 registered this was a very successful conference and one of the largest. From the comments I was hearing and from my own viewpoint it was also one of the best programs I can remember. The theme was Grow North – Bringing Fresh Ideas To Market.

This week’s program features interviews with Melanie Rice, Brownfield Ag News, who is the Chair of the NAMA Fall Conference committee; Jerry Gennaria, Brighton Agency, recipient of the PDA for Excellence in Marketing Communications; John Robinson, NCBA, recipient of the PDA for Excellence in Public Relations and Laurie Fleck, newly appointed President/CEO of FLM Harvest.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 598 - NAMA Fall Conference

You can find lots of photos from the event here: 2018 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Ablum

The ZimmCast

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The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
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Audio, Marketing, NAMA, ZimmCast

Bayer Announces Care4Cattle Grant Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

During a panel discussion on animal health at the Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue this week, Bayer announced the winners of its new Care4Cattle grant initiative program.

In March 2018, Bayer launched the initiative in collaboration with the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) to recognize and support innovative-thinking livestock professionals who have created new ways of advancing beef and dairy cattle well-being on the farm.

The initiative received over 100 entries across 37 countries and the winners selected to jointly receive the EUR 30,000 Care4Cattle grant funding were from Australia, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Dominique van der Saag from Australia was selected for her research into novel ways in which calves could self-administer analgesia after standard husbandry procedures which can often cause animals stress both during and after.

Brazil Professor Mateus Paranhos da Costa’s study into the effects different weaning methods can have on the well-being of beef calves, was the second project granted funding by the Care4Cattle initiative.

The third winning submission was from The Cattle Lameness Academy in the United Kingdom to create a modular training platform using videos, where they can support farmers in dealing with the rising threat of lameness.

In this interview, Dr. Almut Hoffmann, Head of Farm Animal Products Marketing at Bayer Animal Health, talks about the program and the three winners – Interview with Dr. Almut Hoffmann, Bayer Animal Health

Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Animal Health, Audio, Bayer

Zimfo Bytes 9/21

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announces Neil Caskey has been selected to serve as NCGA Vice President of Communications, beginning Monday, October 15. Caskey will build upon the organization’s ongoing communications efforts to create and increase opportunities for corn growers. Caskey currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Osborn Barr.
  • Corteva Agriscience™, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, announced a series of changes to its leadership structure, starting with appointing James C. Collins, Jr., as chief executive officer. The leadership team reporting to Jim Collins will include Rajan Gajaria, executive vice president of Corteva Agriscience’s Business Platforms; Tim Glenn, executive vice president, chief commercial officer; Greg Friedman, Corteva’s executive vice president, chief financial officer; and Cornel Fuerer, senior vice president, general counsel.

  • The National Association of Farm Broadcasting recently announced it has reached an all-time high of 851 members, surpassing its high-water membership mark of 790 reached in 1984.
  • UnitedAg announced Kanthi Gunturi as the new Chief Financial Officer. Gunturi brings 15 years of finance and professional experience from various organizations like KPMG and Duke Medical Center.
  • The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) officially unveiled its new logo, new look and new office space. CRA also redesigned its website, www.corn.org, to put the spotlight on issue advocacy and the industry’s economic impact.
  • Media registration for the 91st National FFA Convention & Expo is now open. To register for the event, which will be held in Indianapolis, Oct. 24-27, 2018, please visit: https://register.ffa.org/profile/74386
  • Garth Brooks, the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, will take the stage in Indianapolis for a private show at this year’s 91st National FFA Convention & Expo.
  • The 22nd annual Plains Peanut Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22 in Plains, Georgia, home of President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
  • BRANDT is recharging its turf and ornamental business, introducing four new territory sales managers to represent the BRANDT®, GRIGG™, and BRANDT® iHammer T&O product lines. Ryan Jerome will be based near the BRANDT headquarters in Springfield, IL, managing sales in the Midwest. Tom Breiner will cover the Northeast US. Chris Quinlan will cover the upper Midwest and Canada. Amy Dearinger will manage sales in the South Central US.
  • A new CoBank Knowledge Exchange Division report, “Broadband Partnerships,” addresses some of the long-standing challenges to building broadband networks such as the high cost to entry, tax and legal implications, and even the lack of investment incentives.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Study Shows Ag Retailers Face Cover Crop Challenges

    Carrie Muehling

    A new study shows growing demand for cover crops, but agricultural retailers continue to face challenges when it comes to expanding that market.

    The study, conducted by Datu Research, LLC, found 89 percent of ag retailers have offered cover crops and services in the past two years to farmers who use them to anchor the soil between growing seasons. The practice has shown benefits in the areas of soil erosion, fertility, water retention, weed and pest control.

    “Ag retailers and Certified Crop Advisers are a trusted go-to source for farmers,” said Dr. Angel Cruz, lead author of the study. “We wanted to understand their role in promoting cover crops and see what it would take to expand that role.”

    The survey, developed in cooperation with the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), was distributed to ARA members and Certified Crop Advisers in the Midwest. Many respondents reported offering their customers cover crop advisory services (83%), selling cover crop seed (56%) and cover crop termination services (44%).

    Still, these products and services account for less than five percent of total revenue, the study found. Many respondents described mutually reinforcing challenges: a lack of customer demand, insufficient evidence of cover crop benefits in their region, and “uncertain or negative profitability.”

    “Ag retailers have always worked to assist their farmer customers in conservation practice implementation,” said ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “The adoption of cover crops will continue at a slower rate until farmers can see the true value in the practice. Our retailer members appreciate the survey results and any subsequent findings to work with their customers in making the best decisions for their operations and the environment.”

    ARA will launch its Sustainability Programming for Agricultural Retailers and CCAs (SPARC) initiative, which includes the utilization of cover crops and other conservation practices, at its upcoming Conference and Expo on Thursday, November 29. For more information, please visit www.aradc.org/conference.

    AgWired Precision, ARA, cover crops

    Bayer Donates to Support Smallholder Farmers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    In an effort to support smallholders in Africa, Bayer made a donation of EUR 700,000 to the One Acre Fund during the Future of Farming Dialogue this week in Germany.

    Monika Lessl, Head of Corporate Innovation and R&D for Bayer presented the donation to One Acre Fund Director of Business Development Sarah LaHaye, who had just participated in a panel on social innovation.

    One Acre Fund is a non-profit social enterprise supplying smallholder farmers with the financing, tools and training they need to succeed. The donation will allow One Acre Fund to pursue two innovative services for farmers in Kenya and Rwanda: improved poultry products and digital technologies. At scale, these innovations could reach nearly 600,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya and Rwanda.

    Listen here to the presentation and comments from Lessl, LaHaye, and Liam Condon. Bayer One Acre Fund Donation

    Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 Photo Album

    Audio, Bayer

    Bayer Crop Science President Talks Glyphosate

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Glyphosate was on the table as U.S. agricultural journalists attending the Bayer Future of Farming event in Germany had the chance to sit down with Liam Condon, Bayer AG Board of Management member and Crop Science division president.

    It was the very end of a very long day and Condon was able to joke about the jury verdict that came out a week before Day One of the new company formed with the acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer. Comparing August 21 to opening up gifts on Christmas, Condon said the verdict was a “gift they hadn’t asked for” like a sweater they really don’t want to wear, but now they just have to deal with it.

    “Our position is unequivocal” regarding the safety of glyphosate, said Condon. “Any product we sell has got to be safe.”

    Moving forward, Condon says he is just excited about the potential of the new company.

    Listen to Condon’s comments here: Interview with Bayer President Crop Science Liam Condon

    Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Crop Protection

    Bayer Defends Glyphosate at Future of Farming

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The $289 million glyphosate jury verdict just before the Bayer-Monsanto deal was finalized last month was a big topic of discussion this week at the Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue at the company’s global headquarters in Monheim, Germany. In fact, a last minute panel scheduled at the very end of a full day of presentations was standing room only – as Bayer AG announced on Tuesday it is asking the California state court judge to overturn the verdict.

    The panel included (LtoR) UK farmer Guy Smith, Deputy President for the British National Farmers Union; Jesus Madrazo, Bayer Head of Agricultural Affairs and Sustainability, Crop Science; and Bill Reeves, Bayer Regulatory Policy and Scientific Affairs.

    “We are very confident about the safety of glyphosate,” Madrazo said emphatically. “This product has an impeccable safety record.”

    It was a very lively discussion with some very tough questions – good and timely content here: Bayer Future of Farming Glyphosate Panel

    Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 Photo Album

    Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Crop Protection, Farming, Herbicide