NCBA Wraps Up Summer Business Meeting in Denver

Carrie Muehling

Research, promotion and policy discussions filled work sessions at this year’s Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Denver, attended by more than 700 cattle producers.

Trade continues to be an important topic in the cattle industry, as well as environmental property rights. Other talks centered around alternative proteins and which agency should regulate the inspection and branding of those products. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Kendal Frazier said producers are optimistic about the cattle industry for now.

“People seem to be pretty upbeat. We’re selling record amounts of beef at good prices. Demand domestically and internationally is really good for beef. Except for some areas of the country that have experienced some pretty severe drought situations, the cattlemen from across the country seem to be in a pretty positive mood,” said Frazier.

The group also announced six regional winners of Environmental Stewardship Awards. This year’s finalists are Birdcall and Clark Ranch of Henrietta, Texas, Thunder View Farms of Grahamsville, NY, Haleakala Ranch of Makawao, Hawaii, The Hahn Ranch of Townsend, Montana, Moes Feedlot of Watertown, SD, and Landuyt Land and Livestock of Walnut Grove, Minnesota. They will go on to national competition and recognition at the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans in January. Registration for that meeting opens Oct. 1.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Kendal Frazier here: Interview with Kendal Frazier, NCBA

2018 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, NCBA

Scholarships Awarded at Ag Media Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

Several talented and motivated young ladies were awarded scholarships this week at the Ag Media Summit to help them with their future careers in the industry

The Livestock Publications Council and Alltech recognized four students as Forrest Bassford award finalists. Pictured left to right are Jenn Norrie with Alltech; Madison Hokanson, SDSU; Alexa Nordwald, MU; Sarah Moyer, K-State; and Kiera Leddy, OSU.

Maddie Hokanson was named the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship and all received $750 travel scholarships to attend the convention.

The AAEA scholarships, made possible in part by CoBank and through a grant from the Professional Improvement Foundation, were presented to (LtoR) Carryn LaRue, Utah State; Alexa Nordwald, MU; Jill Seiler, K State; and Catherine Jones, UNL (not pictured).

The Jim Evans Scholarship was presented to Alexa Nordwald, who is also one of two AAEA interns here at the summit, along with Cheyenne Dunn, Purdue.

I had the opportunity to interview Maddie and Alexa about what the awards mean to them.

LPC Forrest Bassford award winner –
Interview with Madison Hokanson, SD State University

AAEA Jim Evans Scholarship award winner –
Interview with Alexa Nordwald, University of Missouri

2018 Ag Media Summit photo album

Content creation at Ag Media Summit is sponsored by
Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by FMC
ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, LPC

2018 Ag Media Summit Bigger than Usual

Cindy Zimmerman

There are nearly 800 agricultural communications professionals and students attending the 20th annual Ag Media Summit this week in Scottsdale, AZ, which is bigger than normal because a new organization is part of the event this year.

The Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences has joined with the American Agricultural Editors’ Association, Livestock Publications Council and the Connectiv Agri-Media Committee to meet the theme of “Everything Under the Sun.”

“It’s great because we have added more people to help out and added more sessions,” says AMS 2018 chair Molly Shoen, Charolais Journal.

The university extension communicators have added a new dimension this year, and Molly says they might become a permanent addition but not until after next year when the Summit hosts the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Minneapolis.

Listen to my interview with Molly here:
Interview with Molly Shoen, AMS 2018 chair

2018 Ag Media Summit photo album

Content creation at Ag Media Summit is sponsored by
Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by FMC
ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, LPC

2018 #SturgisRally Features the RFA Motorcycle

Chuck Zimmerman

On opening weekend for the 2018 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Robert White, Renewable Fuels Association, got on stage to welcome other sponsors and talk about the big Monday event in Deadwood, SD – The Legends Ride. I’m here to help with this annual educational promotion and will be sharing interviews and photos as I find them. Pictured is the first RFA team on the scene. We have more RFA board members and member plant employees coming out this week to help with Free Fuel Happy Hours which begin tomorrow afternoon (free E10 fuel for motorcycles).

Robert will be in the lead of the Legends Ride on the motorcycle built by Paul Teutul, Jr. Participants have to be registered and the event attracts lots of big names in the biking world as well as celebrities. Paul also built a custom motorcycle for The Buffalo Chip Campground which will be auctioned off right before the start of today’s ride.


I have a photo album started which I will be adding to as time/wifi allow: 2018 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Biofuels, Ethanol, RFA

Stoneville Varieties Show Strong Performance

Carrie Muehling

Stoneville highlighted cotton varieties at the 2018 Milan No-Till Field Day, including ST 5122GLT and ST 5471GLTP. Stoneville Representative Lucas Owen said ST 5122GLT offers benefits for growers in many areas.

“It’s a variety that really impressed us last year. We advanced it kind of for the North Delta, but it does have geographical fit in other areas of the Mid-South,” said Owen. “With this variety, it’s got good early season vigor and it allows the flexibility to use glyphosate or Liberty over the top, as well as our two bT trait technology with TwinLink.”

Learn more about ST 5122GLT here: Interview with Lucas Owen, ST 5122GLT

Owen also talked about a variety released last year that has been very impressive in yield performance trials, and that is ST 5471GLTP, which offers a high yielding potential and great fiber package. It also has bacterial blight resistance and GLTP technology, which allows growers to benefit from three bT genes to fight against a number of worms found in cotton.

Learn more about ST 5471GLTP here: Interview with Lucas Owen, ST 5471GLTP

2018 Milan No-Till Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Cotton

Animal Ag Bites 8/6

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Feed Industry Association honored Michael Bedford, Ph.D., with the AFIA-Poultry Science Association (PSA) Nutrition Research Award at the PSA annual meeting last week in San Antonio, Texas.
  • The American Feed Industry Association commends Congress for sending a bill to the president this week for signature – the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2018 (H.R. 5554). This bipartisan legislation will continue providing the necessary resources to support the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine with completing more expeditious reviews of new animal drugs and improving FDA’s review and approval process for animal food ingredients.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report detailing observations from the Taking Action for Animals Conference, held July 20 – 23 in Arlington, Va. The event was organized by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The 2018 Taking Action for Animals Conference Report, which includes personal accounts of speaker presentations and general observations, is available to Alliance members in the Resource Library on the Alliance website. The Alliance also has reports from previous animal rights conferences accessible to members on its website.
  • The full portfolio of Zoetis equine gel and paste dewormers now have a fresh look. Quest® and Quest® Plus Gel, Anthelcide® EQ Paste and Strongid® Paste remain the same trusted formulations; however, the new packaging reflects the season the product may be most effective in treating and controlling equine parasites. In addition to updated packaging, Quest and Quest Plus now treat horses up to 1,500 pounds with one tube.
  • Protein conversion plays an important role in the poultry industry’s sustainability efforts. This year’s Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar will review the latest technology, equipment and management techniques in the rendering sector. Sponsored by USPOULTRY and the Poultry Protein & Fat Council, the seminar will be held Oct. 4 – 5, at the DoubleeTree Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.
  • Dr. Greg Mathis, owner and operator of Southern Poultry Research, Inc., was recently recognized with the 2018 Poultry Science Association Distinguished Poultry Industry Career Award, sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The award was presented during the annual Poultry Science Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas, by Barbara Jenkins, USPOULTRY vice president of education and student programs and USPOULTRY Foundation executive director. The Distinguished Career Award recognizes distinctive, outstanding contributions by an industry leader. In addition to sponsoring the award, USPOULTRY also makes an annual contribution to the Poultry Science Association Foundation on behalf of the award recipient.
  • Dietric De Jager was recently named a Cornette Farm Supply dairy specialist. Working in northeastern Wisconsin, De Jager will provide nutrition consulting and offer customized solutions to help producers meet their goals. In addition, he will work closely with the Vita Plus dairy team in that area to continually offer cutting-edge technical expertise.
  • Novus International, Inc. announced that Dr. Lisa R. Bielke, professor of animal sciences at Ohio State University was recognized as the 2018 Novus Outstanding Scholar at the Poultry Science Association annual meeting.
AgWired Animal, Dairy, Poultry

Resistant Pests Wreaking Havoc in Cotton Crop

Carrie Muehling

Cotton growers attending the Milan No-Till Field Day this year heard a clear message from University of Arkansas Extension Entomologist Gus Lorenz when it comes to choosing cotton varieties.

“That technology with three genes is going to keep us away from having to make foliar applications,” said Lorenz. “If we’re going to pay for the technology, let’s pay for a technology that works for us.”

Lorenz said dual gene cotton is not holding up for growers in southern Arkansas, where they have experienced a tremendous battle with bollworms during the 2018 growing season. That’s triggering the need for foliar applications to fight the possibility of yield damage. Lorenz said the problem is now moving beyond southern Arkansas to the central and northern parts of the state, and the bollworms are also affecting soybeans and other crops. He’s hopeful new chemistries currently in the pipeline will eventually provide more opportunities for control.

“There’s hope. We’re not giving up the ship or anything like that. We’re going to keep battling, but there’s some help on the horizon,” he said.

In the meantime, Lorenz encouraged growers to choose wisely when it comes to cotton varieties and to continue tank mixing and rotating chemistries to fight resistance and maintain yield potential.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Gus Lorenz here: Interview with Gus Lorenz, University of Arkansas Extension

2018 Milan No-Till Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Cotton

ZimmCast 593 – Sturgis Buffalo Chip and Ag Media Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

This week’s program previews two events coming up starting this weekend. Cindy will be attending the Ag Media Summit while I am working at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Buffalo Chip Campground.

To start things off, we hear from Robert White, Renewable Fuels Association, who talks the annual ethanol educational program for motorcyclists in Sturgis, South Dakota. It’s all about good information on today’s fuel that includes ethanol.

Then I talk with Suzanne Steele, Assistant Director, Communications, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Suzanne is currently the president of the Association of Communication Excellence. She will talk about ACE and their first time participation in the Ag Media Summit.

Listen to the ZimmCast here to learn more about the show: ZimmCast 593 - Sturgis Buffalo Chip and Ag Media Summit

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
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Ag Media Summit, Audio, Ethanol, Events, Media, RFA, University, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes 8/3

Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced USDA is inviting comments on the implementation of the e-Connectivity Pilot Program established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 on March 23, 2018. Comments are due on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 and can be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or by postal mail/commerical delivery.
  • The IDEAg Group LLC announces the new Farm Bureau Financial Services Rural Lifestyle Pavilion for Minnesota Farmfest 2018. The Farm Safety 4 Just Kids Booth inside the Farm Bureau Financial Services Rural Lifestyle Pavilion focuses on free safety games and demonstrations.
  • Bill Kuckuck announced plans to retire from his position as executive vice president and chief operating officer of CropLife America (CLA) on December 31, 2018. His announcement follows that of Jay Vroom, CLA’s president and CEO, who announced he would retire from his position, after nearly 30 years, at the end of 2018.
  • The National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp. announce their collaboration to bring innovative technology, science, research and entrepreneurship to the classrooms of the more than 650,000 FFA student members nationwide through an initiative known as Blue 365. Blue 365 will serve as a catalyst for evolving sustainability, innovative efficiency and preparing the future leaders who will solve the world’s critical agricultural challenges.
  • Swanson Russell welcomes Bri Harding and Alex Jensen to its Omaha office and Michael Rudolf, Kiley Shuler and Katie Struckman to its Lincoln office.
  • The Minnesota AgriGrowth Council announced that Executive Director Perry Aasness is leaving the organization after five years to join Compeer Financial as their Vice President of Legislative Affairs.
  • Delegates of the U.S. Grains Council elected as chairman Jim Stitzlein, manager of market development for Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., at its 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting.
  • Purdue University hosts the National Conference for Food and Agribusiness November 6-7, 2018. Click here for more information on session descriptions, learning objectives, and speakers.
  • Deere & Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PLA, a privately-held manufacturer of sprayers, planters, and specialty products for agriculture. PLA is based in Argentina, with manufacturing facilities in Las Rosas, Argentina, and Canoas, Brazil.
FFA, John Deere, USGC, Zimfo Bytes

Resisting Bacterial Blight in Cotton

Carrie Muehling

Cotton growers fighting diseases like bacterial blight can improve their chances for success by choosing varieties that are resistant to the disease. Stoneville Representative Lucas Owen told growers attending the Milan No-Till Field Day about some of the best options Stoneville has to offer when it comes to fighting bacterial blight in ST 5517GLTP and ST 5471GLTP.

“Both of these varieties have not only good bacterial blight resistance, but they also have exceptional yield packages and fiber packages, as well,” said Owen, who noted there is not much more growers can do to fight bacterial blight outside of planting a resistant variety.

Stoneville also offers cotton varieties with resistance to Verticillium wilt, including ST 4949GLT, ST 4747GLB2, and ST 5115GLT, which provides resistance to both Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Lucas Owen here: Interview with Lucas Owen, Stoneville

2018 Milan No-Till Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Cotton