AgGateway Annual in Austin

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is underway for the 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference, November 11-13, at the Downright Austin Hotel in Austin, TX.

This event combines real working sessions on advanced initiatives, meet-ups and committee gatherings to discuss new and longer-term projects, and a host of conference sessions designed to create discussion and infuse enthusiasm for the AgGateway Mission. Along with learning and working sessions, the conference features multiple networking breaks and receptions, as well as a welcome luncheon for first-time attendees.

Annual Conference attendees include leading agribusiness managers, IT professionals, and other representatives from the entire crop production channel, including input and equipment manufacturing, software and data service providers, ag retailers and distributors, in addition to professionals in precision ag, academia, agricultural organizations, students, and ag media.

The 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference will discuss work being done on Environmental Reporting and provide experts and outside perspectives on programs and initiatives that have put Environmental Reporting in the spotlight.

AgGateway Executive Vice President Jeremy Wilson talked about some of the organization’s current priorities in this interview from Tech Hub LIVE in July.

2024 THL Jeremy Wilson, AgGateway 4:56

ag retailers, AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio

Industry Ag News 9/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Corn production is down, while soybean and cotton production is up from 2023, according to the Crop Production report issued by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Corn production is down 1 percent from last year, forecast at 15.2 billion bushels; soybean growers are expected to increase their production 10 percent from 2023, forecast at 4.59 billion bushels; cotton production is up 20 percent from 2023 at 14.5 million 480-pound bales.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an investment of nearly $121 million to advance research and Extension activities that aim to solve key challenges facing specialty crop and organic agriculture producers. The investment includes $70.4 million to support specialty crop production research across the United States and $50.5 million to support farmers and ranchers who grow and market high-quality organic food, fiber and organic products. This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
  • Register here for the National Agri-Marketing Association’s webinar on Experiential Storytelling: Tapping into what matters to your audience. Shannon Peel will peel back the layers between brand and ideal customer to find common threads to weave relatable stories. Your audience will receive a deeper understanding of their ideal customer and a story structure that talks directly to their needs, desires, and experiences.
  • Tractor Tuesday, a new online auction platform for agriculture machinery, proudly presents Farm Athletes, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to supporting NCAA college athletes from farm and ranch backgrounds. This initiative is set to provide NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals that will empower these hardworking student-athletes to excel both on the field and in the classroom while honoring their agricultural roots.
  • Join the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference! Learn from industry experts and business leaders who will share fresh perspectives and insights on the state of ag today. #NAMAFALL24 is also the perfect place to catch up with familiar faces and make new connections before the year is out.
  • li>Farm Credit System institutions made 132,890 loans to young, beginning, or small U.S. producers in 2023, delivering on their critical mission to support rural communities and agriculture, according to a new Farm Credit Administration (FCA) report. The report underscores Farm Credit’s commitment to the next generation of agricultural producers through strategic lending and support initiatives.
  • Time is running out to secure a spot at a discounted rate for AgGateway’s 2024 Annual Conference to be held November 11-13 in Austin, Texas. Monday, September 16th is the last day for early bird registration prices, so register today!
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address staffing levels and improve customer service at USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county-level offices.
  • Nearly 300 Farmers Union members from across the United States converged in Washington to meet with lawmakers and advocate for the timely passage of a comprehensive five-year farm bill before the end of 2024, emphasizing its importance given current challenges faced by America’s family farmers and ranchers.
  • Representatives from the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation (SPFF) traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in a multi-commodity fly-in with over 50 other representatives from crop production and agricultural lending organizations. During the trip, SPFF representatives met with Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, as well as senior agricultural staff, to discuss the critical need for passing a Farm Bill before the end of 2024. Over 300 national and state groups sent a letter to congressional leaders on September 9 calling on them to pass the farm bill before year’s end.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    LUCI Brings Food Value Chain Consensus

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Steve Reinhard

    Steve Reinhard, USB Board Chair and Ohio farmer

    A new multi-stakeholder Land Use Change Initiative (LUCI) is leading efforts to unite the food value chain in developing definitions, metrics and methodologies for quantifying land use change.

    The initiative is funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) in partnership with Carbon A List, and USB Board Chair Steve Reinhard, an Ohio farmer who presented keynote remarks at a recent Land Use Change Summit, said the purpose is to have farmers at the table for land use change discussions as corporations consider their sustainability programs.

    “We know that we have a lot of urbanization out there where a lot of good farmland is being taken up for either homes or maybe a warehouse, so that’s another definition of land use change that actually wasn’t even considered before we had this particular meeting,” said Reinhard. “It’s great being able to have farmers there to have a conversation around the table when basically before we didn’t have that option, so we kind of had to start it on our own.”

    The Land Use Change Summit was held during July at McDonald’s International Headquarters in Chicago, and gathered nearly 100 experts across the food and agriculture value chain. Reinhard says the summit set out to accomplish three goals: 1) find common ground 2) set a strategic course, and 3) prepare to engage.

    We’re going to continue on with our conversations that we had and a lot of good discussion that was taken from some of the breakout sessions,” said Reinhard. “And that will all be put into a next steps type program and we’ll look forward then to having another in person conference in the future.”

    You can listen to learn more in this interview with Steve Reinhard:
    Interview with Steve Reinhard

    To receive updates or get involved, visit the Land Use Change Initiative webpage where you can find a white paper describing critical issues and gaps, and identifies where the opportunities exist for implementing change. In addition, there is a primer report and proceedings report available that were prepared for LUCI’s workshop sessions.

    Audio, carbon, Food, land, Soybean, USB

    Pivot Bio at Farm Progress Show

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Customers using Pivot Bio sustainable agriculture products have reduced carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by over 932,000 metric tons (MT) since the beginning of 2022, and now the company is offering zero percent financing for growers through December 2025.

    Pivot Bio agronomist Karen Zuver was talking with farmers at the recent Farm Progress Show about what Pivot Bio has to offer. “Our pivot bio products give you this opportunity to have that foundation product in your nitrogen plan for your grain crops,” said Zuver. “So with corn we have our PROVEN® 40 product that gives you that foundation to replace some of that synthetic nitrogen and make sure that you have that nitrogen there through the season.”

    Learn more in this interview:
    FPS24 - Interview with Karen Zuver, Pivot Bio 4:30

    2024 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, carbon, Farm Progress Show, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

    Syngenta Continues Work With EPA on Atrazine

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Syngenta continues to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that farmers can keep using the crop protection products they need, like Atrazine.

    Dave Flakne, Syngenta head of U.S. state affairs, provided the latest update at the recent Farm Progress Show. “July 7th of this year, the EPA put out an update that was somewhat favorable, but there’s still some work that needs to be done,” said Flakne. “They increased the level of concern from 3.4 parts per billion to 9.7 parts per billion in streams on a 60 day rolling average, which was a directionally correct improvement in the level of concern, but there are still issues with respect to the models that they’re using to determine where mitigation might be required.”

    Flakne says right now the entire ag community is focused on the Endangered Species Act, which is being used to try and vacate registrations. “So right now there’s a lot of work going on by EPA to come up with a framework,” said Flakne. “And what that means is the agency is going to be looking at and evaluating registrations and re-registration to make sure that they’re being responsive and protective of endangered species. So that process and how that strategy is implemented is very important.”

    Learn more in this interview.
    FPS24 - Interview with Dave Flakne, Syngenta 7:45

    2024 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Precision Agriculture, Syngenta, Technology

    Precision Ag News 9/11

    Carrie Muehling

  • USDA announced funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year 2025. NRCS accepts applications year-round for ACEP Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE). Interested producers, landowners, and partners should apply by the next two ranking dates, Oct. 4, 2024, or Dec. 20, 2024, at their local NRCS office, to be considered for these two state-led funding cycles. In addition, any application submitted to NRCS that was unfunded in fiscal year 2024 will be automatically re-considered during the October 4 funding cycle.
  • From the stage of the Africa Food Systems Forum in Rwanda, the World Food Prize Foundation announced Dr. Dennis Beesigamukama, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya, as the 2024 Recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by The Rockefeller Foundation. The announcement was made by 2021 World Food Prize Laureate Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted on behalf of the Foundation.
  • As the agricultural industry faces increasing demands for efficiency and sustainability, AgroLiquid is intensifying its collaborations with industry leaders to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in crop nutrition. By partnering with experts across various sectors, AgroLiquid is at the forefront of testing and developing innovative solutions that help farmers optimize their fertilizer use while addressing the real-world struggles they encounter in the field.
  • U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors increased 4.8 percent in August 2024 compared to the year before according to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. sales also increased 5.2 percent year-to-date. Total U.S. Ag tractor sales decreased 19.4 percent compared to 2023, while combine sales dropped 19.6 percent.
  • The 2024 Nebraska Water Conference will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, on October 9 and 10. This year’s conference theme is Collaboration and Innovation in Nebraska Water. The conference will highlight successful collaborations and innovations in Nebraska water and discuss future opportunities in water research and management. Held at the Nebraska Innovation Campus conference center, this two-day event will feature discussions on emerging contaminants, drought preparedness, nutrient management, climate smart practices, nitrate research, water policy, climate water resilience, and modeling. Experts from the state and region will share their work and lead discussions on future opportunities for innovative partnerships.
  • Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Japan, through its North American subsidiary, Kubota North America Corporation, has acquired Bloomfield Robotics, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company. Bloomfield provides a service that monitors the health and performance of specialty crops, one plant at a time, using advanced imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) to growers across seven countries and three continents.
  • The economic importance of hemp is increasing both globally and in the United States. However, because federal laws restricted hemp growth and research until recently, commercial hemp production lacks best practices for cultivation, including effective and safe pest and disease management. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research`’s (FFAR) Hemp Research Consortium is providing a $210,000 grant to Cornell University to identify biologically derived crop protection products – biopesticides – to control hemp’s major pest and disease threats. BioWorks and the University of Kentucky (UK) are participating in the research, and BioWorks is providing matching funds for a total $420,000 investment.
  • Reinke Manufacturing, a global leader in irrigation systems and technology, today announced a $12 million investment in the modernization and automation of their manufacturing facilities to produce irrigation systems. Demonstrating its deep commitment to advanced technology, innovation, and excellence, the latest investment includes implementing advanced robotic technologies and expansion projects to increase production capacity and efficiency at its Deshler facility. Reinke is showcasing its new robotic manufacturing systems in addition to its precision irrigation technologies at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, NE through September 12, 2024.
  • Vermeer has forged an alliance with G.T. Bunning & Sons Ltd, a UK-based leader in manure spreader manufacturing. This partnership integrates Bunning spreaders into the comprehensive Vermeer lineup serving North American hay, forage and livestock producers.
  • Rivulis Pte. Ltd., a global leader in advanced irrigation and climate solutions, today announced the opening of the largest micro irrigation production facility in North America to increase production capacity as the demand for resource-conscious irrigation solutions climbs. The addition of this new site exemplifies Rivulis’ commitment to deliver products and grower support to the expanding market while adhering to quality and sustainability measures across its supply chain.
  • The 3rd FIRA USA, co organized by GOFAR association, Western Growers and the University of California, will be held October 22-24 in Woodland, CA. The Yolo County Fair in Woodland will host an extended demo area, round tables addressing specific industry needs for automation, autonomous irrigation and perennial crops highlights, and always new robotics solutions to be showcased. Passes for FIRA USA are free of charge for growers.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Farm Foundation Hosts Farm Policy Forum

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Rod Snyder and Kip Tom

    While the Kamala Harris/Donald Trump debate took the spotlight this week, Farm Foundation hosted a forum on Monday that focused more specifically on the farm policy of each party’s candidate.

    Moderated by Kristina Peterson with The Wall Street Journal, The Agricultural Platforms of the Candidates for President of the United States featured Kip Tom, Farmers and Ranchers for Trump Coalition, for the Republican platform, while the Democratic platform was advocated for by Rod Snyder, former Senior Advisor for Agriculture for EPA in the Biden-Harris Administration. Topics covered included the farm bill, agricultural trade, environmental policy, farm labor and immigration, and biofuels policy.

    Snyder, who recently stepped down from his position with EPA, outlined the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration in the area of rural development, and pointed out the record of Gov. Tim Walz during his 12 years in Congress, “where he served 6 terms on the House Agriculture Committee and helped write three farm bills.” In his opening remarks, Snyder expressed concerns about how Trump policies on trade and immigration would impact agriculture. “Roughly 70% of ag workers in the United States are foreign born, and nearly half of those are undocumented,” said Snyder. “Trump is promising mass deportation on an unprecedented scale without any consideration for our country’s ag system, food prices, or least of all, the human toll.”

    Tom, an Indiana farmer who served as US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture under President Trump, stressed the success of Trump’s trade policies, the impact of overregulation, and the need to control illegal immigration, as well as his concerns about reliance on foreign inputs. “Nearly 70% of the crop care products that we use in the United States are produced abroad, much in India, but primarily in China,” said Tom. “Imagine if they hit the kill switch… we couldn’t have the products that we need to fight back against the weeds, insects and diseases that we have in our crops or the the pharmaceutical or the drugs that we need for our livestock to keep them healthy.”

    Their brief opening statements were followed by a lively discussion that included questions from the audience at the National Press Club that is well worth watching. Watch the whole forum here.

    Listen to opening statements here:
    Farm Foundation forum opening statements (18:57)

    Audio, Farm Foundation, Farm Policy

    NK Offers 12 New Corn Hybrids for 2025

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With a decade of groundbreaking investments, NK is bringing stronger corn genetics and herbicide traits combined with enhanced testing to the farm faster than ever with the new 2025 NK Corn Hybrids.

    NK corn product manager Matt Dolch was at the recent Farm Progress Show to talk about the new hybrids. “We have an excellent new lineup here for 2025. We’ve launched 12 new corn hybrids here for the 25 market year ranging from 87 day to 114 day products. And we also have one brand new Enogen product bringing forward Enogen DuracadeViptera™ technology.”

    Learn more in this interview.
    FPS24 - Interview with Matt Dolch, Syngenta 2:07

    Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Syngenta

    Animal Ag News 9/10

    Carrie Muehling

  • Nominations are now being accepted for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award. Established in 1991, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) annually recognizes outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers across the nation.
  • Registration for CattleCon 2025 is finally here! Hustle over to convention.ncba.org to register now and get the best deal. Now through October 1st, you can save $100 off your registration with our Super Saver Registration. Act fast because you’ll surely want to be where the beef industry meets at CattleCon 2025!
  • The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) has begun accepting nominations and applications for the fourth Cohort of the Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders. Applications and nominations are due November 17 at 11:59 p.m.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of an updated guideline that makes recommendations to strengthen the documentation that supports animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat or poultry product labeling. The action builds on the significant work USDA has already undertaken to protect consumers from false and misleading labels and to implement President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American economy.
  • The United States announced Chile has approved an agreement between the two countries that further enhances the existing U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which marked its 20th anniversary earlier this year and is one of the oldest agreements for both countries. The exchange of letters contained in this agreement formalize protections for U.S. cheese exports to Chile, which make up over half of all U.S. dairy exports to Chile and exceeded $55 million in 2023. At the urging of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and fellow industry representatives, the Biden Administration engaged in negotiations on an exchange of letters to attach to the existing U.S.-Chile free trade agreement (FTA) that would further protect some U.S. cheeses from losing access once the EU’s GI commitments enter into force.
  • The Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) New Product Competition for college students is accepting entries for 2025. The competition seeks innovative dairy product concepts and is open to undergraduate and graduate students in the U.S.
  • Certified Angus Beef (CAB) showcased the best Angus beef at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival in Canton, Ohio. The first weekend of August saw CAB’s involvement in two-key activations: the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner and the Class of 2024 Unscripted & Tailgate.
  • The poultry industry has long faced various challenges and opportunities, but one issue that remains at the forefront is bird welfare. This year, the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association are joining forces again for the 2024 Live Production, Welfare and Biosecurity Seminar. Scheduled for Oct. 3-4 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown in Nashville, Tenn., this seminar aims to address these ongoing concerns.
  • A new director at NOVUS is driving innovation at the intelligent nutrition company. Gaurav Shah recently joined NOVUS as the new associate director of innovation and business development. He is responsible for routing Novus’ innovation pipeline and strategy in the newly created role.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Amp Americas Dairy RNG Projects Hit Milestone

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Amp Americas, a leading dairy methane capture and renewable natural gas (RNG) company, today announced that its projects have hit the milestone of reducing more than 2,000,000 metric tons (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions since 2012 – equal to the emissions of more than five natural gas-fired power plants in one year.

    Amp Americas partners with dairy farmers across the United States on projects that reduce methane emissions from dairy waste. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas – 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in driving global warming over a 20-year time span. Amp Americas provides an immediate, measurable and at-scale solution to methane emissions by capturing methane on dairy farms that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Dairy RNG also reduces the cost of managing dairy waste and produces digestate that can be used as fertilizer.

    “For 12 years, we have worked alongside farmers to make a real, quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions while improving the air quality in rural communities,” said Grant Zimmerman, CEO of Amp Americas. “Two million metric tons is a milestone we’re proud of, especially since there are no other near-term solutions that can tackle methane emissions like our RNG projects. We are grateful for our farm partners and excited to work with them to increase our impact. With access to new markets, Amp will develop additional projects on more and smaller farms across the United States.”

    Amp has 17 RNG projects across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Idaho and Kansas that create well-paying jobs and help dairy farmers improve air quality and reduce risks to water quality in their rural communities. These projects will prevent 700,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per year by the end of this year, the same climate impact as taking 166,601 cars off the road for one year. Amp Americas received the first dairy waste-to-vehicle fuel pathway certified by the EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard and the first pathway certified by California’s Air Resources Board (“CARB”). Visit ampamericas.com to learn more.

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, carbon, Dairy, Energy