Meet the 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow

Cindy Zimmerman

LtoR – Leon Sheets, Christine Snowden, Adam Krause, Emma Lasco

America’s Pig Farmer Leon Sheets had the pleasure of introducing the new Pig Farmers of Tomorrow at the National Pork Forum this week, appropriately on National Pig Day, March 1.

Adam Krause from South Dakota and Emma Lasco and Christine Snowden, both from Iowa, have been named for the honor, which recognizes farm leaders, ages 18-29, who intend to make pig farming their life’s work and who are committed to raising pigs using the pork industry’s We CareSM ethical principles. The winners will speak at Pork Checkoff events and provide content on #RealPigFarming, which is the pork industry’s social media program.

Krause is the fourth generation on his family farm near Clear Lake, South Dakota who owns a pig nursery barn and grows corn, soybean and wheat. Lasco is a territory manager for Smithfield Foods Midwest Production in Roland, Iowa and assists growers with implementing Smithfield’s industry-leading animal care standards on their farms. Snowden is an assistant farrowing manager for AMVC, located in Audubon, Iowa where she works with other employees to care for piglets from birth until they are weaned.

Learn more about them in their remarks to Pork Forum attendees. 2018 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow

Download and view photos from the event here: 2018 Pork Forum Photos

Audio, Pork, Pork Checkoff

Farm Credit: What’s on the Horizon for Rural America

Carrie Muehling

Farm Credit discussed “The Rise of Rural America: What’s on the Horizon” during a learning session at Commodity Classic in Anaheim.

At a time when the rural footprint is shrinking based on growing urban and suburban population centers, farmers and the business people who support them may need new strategies to stay politically engaged. The lack of available broadband connectivity across rural America continues to be a serious challenge.

But contrary to popular belief, there is a new generation of farmers setting out to make a living in production agriculture, and there is reason for optimism, according to Gary Matteson, Vice President of Young, Beginning, Small Farmer Programs and Outreach for the Farm Credit Council.

“I’d like to think that rural entrepreneur is the new name for a beginning farmer,” said Matteson. “I would expect, statistically speaking, looking at what farmers do and off-farm income, that beginning farmers that are starting now are going to have an ag production career, and over the course of their career they’re going to own two or three other businesses that are non-farm businesses that are part of using their skills that they learn through farming – their financial skills, their business analysis skills – and be able to use that in creating rural wealth.”

Matteson said according to the most recent USDA Ag Census, a quarter of all farms have a beginning farmer on them. And while the average age of the primary farm operator continues to rise, adding in secondary and tertiary operators will lower that average age significantly. He said in addition to broadband connectivity, important challenges faced by beginning farmers include finding and seeking out new markets in order to diversify risk.

Matteson presented the session along with Brian Cavey, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for CoBank.

Listen to the learning session here or watch the video below: Farm Credit Learning Session

Farm Credit at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Commodity Classic, Farm Credit, Video

John Deere Receives JB Davidson Award at #Classic18

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere’s Matt Badding was on stage at the Commodity Classic to receive a special inaugural award from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The John Deere S700 Series Combine was recognized by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) as one of the best among the 50 products that received the AE50 Award earlier this year. This first-time JB Davidson award for engineering excellence was presented to John Deere at a special ceremony on February 27 during the 2018 Commodity Classic.

The new Davidson Prize is being presented to just three elite AE50 winners who best exemplify the spirit of JB Davidson, the father of modern agricultural engineering. The Davidson award represents the best of the best in new technologies as carefully evaluated and judged by an all-star panel of industry experts.

The John Deere S700 Series Combine was recognized by the Society for its significant innovations in “smart” technology, improved operator comfort and data capabilities for more efficient grain harvesting, said Matt Badding, John Deere marketing manager for harvesting equipment.

“We are honored that the Society and AEM selected the John Deere S700 Series Combine as one of three recipients for their inaugural engineering award and chose to present it in front of thousands of our customers at Commodity Classic,” said Badding. “The new technologies engineered into every S700 Combine represents the level of innovation that the Society looks for and that provides real value to our customers.”

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Badding, John Deere

John Deere at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John Deere
Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, John Deere

ZimmCast from #Classic18

Chuck Zimmerman

In part this week’s program was sort of hijacked by the Shark Farmer and Farmer Derek. But there is so much more than that.

It is probably the busiest week of the year for the ZimmComm Team.  From the Bayer AgVocacy Forum to Commodity Classic to Pork Industry Forum to Farm and Gin Show and to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. We’re burning up the agriblogging and farm podcasting highway!

Lots of interviews, photos, videos and all of it can be found in our online virtual ag newsrooms on AgNewsWire.com.

So, this week’s program features what media representatives had to say about the Bayer AgVocacy Forum, having fun with at the Farmers Edge booth with some crazy lads and the general session speech by our U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 575 - From Commodity Classic

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

The ZimmCast

sponsored by
The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
Locally owned, globally strong.
Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic, USDA, ZimmCast

Sonny Day at Commodity Classic

Cindy Zimmerman

A lot of drama and speculation preceded the appearance of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at Commodity Classic, thanks to some reports questioning his support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), so he wasted no time in stating his “unequivocal” support for the law.

“I have not and will not support any policies in this country that diminish the demand, undermine RFS and are harmful to our agricultural producers,” Perdue said in his address.

The secretary took additional questions about the issue, resulting from a meeting earlier this week during the press conference and even talked about a couple of other issues besides biofuels.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, speech:
Secretary Perdue Speech
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, press conference:
Secretary Perdue Press Conference

Post Update:

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue held a short town hall on the main stage in the Trade Show. He answered some direct questions about the RFS and RINS from corn growers: Secretary Perdue Main Stage Town Hall

2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John Deere
Audio, Commodity Classic, USDA

Panel Discusses Broadband Connectivity at Classic

Carrie Muehling

Visitors to the Commodity Classic Trade Show had an opportunity to listen to a panel assembled by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The Agricultural Executive Panel: The Infrastructure for New Technology is part of the AEM’s Infrastructure Vision 2050 Initiative, recognizing the gap between broadband infrastructure and production agriculture. The group included Nebraska corn and soybean grower Brandon Hunnicut, who said connectivity is a huge challenge for many farmers.

“There’s so much communication going back and forth very quickly that we need to make sure that all the producers have the ability to make the same decisions in a rapid amount of time that everybody else does,” said Hunnicut.

Panelists agreed that broadband availability will be even more key in the future, as autonomous equipment will require full-time, consistent connectivity. Even now, while 70 percent of corn and soybean acres have a yield monitor collecting data during harvest, only 40 percent of that data gets transmitted for analysis. That’s largely due to a lack of connectivity on those farms, according to Darryl Matthews with Trimble Agriculture. Other panel participants included moderator Bill Hurley, AGCO Corporation; Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.; and Dan Danford, Case IH.

Listen to the AEM Agricultural Executive Panel discussion here: AEM Agricultural Executive Panel

2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John Deere
AEM, Audio, Commodity Classic, Technology

Pork Forum Panel Focuses on Gene Editing

Cindy Zimmerman

The science of gene editing and its potential for the pork industry took center stage Wednesday at the opening session of the annual Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City.

Journalist and author Michael Specter keynoted the session and moderated the panel on gene editing, which included University of Missouri animal scientist Kevin Wells, The Maschhoffs president Bradley Wolter, NPPC director of science and technology Dan Kovich, and Center for Food Integrity CEO Charlie Arnot. “Gene editing is a potentially revolutionary tool that will improve the lives of humans in clear and tangible ways,” said Specter.

Wells was part of a team at the University of Missouri who developed a PRRS resistant pig, which was sold to a private company that is now working on bringing it to market. “With current technologies, the potential is unlimited…to make animals more efficient, that are healthier, that meet our needs and theirs,” he said.

“We have to start now by generating social acceptance of gene editing,” said Arnot. “That means opening a dialogue to build both acceptance and support.”

Listen to interviews with Specter, Arnot, and Wells, as well as the entire panel in the audio files here.

Pork Forum panel on gene editing Interview with Michael Specter, journalist/author Interview with Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity Interview with Kevin Wells, University of Missouri

Download and view photos from the event here: 2018 Pork Forum Photos

AgWired Animal, Audio, Pork, Pork Checkoff

Ag Innovations Honored at Commodity Classic

Carrie Muehling

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers honored three companies with the inaugural Davidson Prize for Innovation at the 2018 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California. The Davidson Prize is named for J.B. Davidson, the father of modern agricultural engineering, and was created to celebrate breakthrough innovations in areas of agricultural, food and biological systems engineering.

“These three products deliver on solutions that truly represent the spirit of J.B. Davidson and the innovative legacy of agriculture,” said WEM Senior Vice President of Agriculture Curt Blades.

Listen to the press conference here:
AEM Press Conference

Case IH won for its Trident 5550 liquid/dry combination applicator, designed from the ground up to be changed between the two systems.
Audio – Interview with Mark Burns, Case IH

John Deere was honored for its S700 Combine featuring the Gen4 Command Center and Combine Advisor technology.
Audio – Interview with Matt Badding, John Deere

Also recognized with the Davidson Prize was the Robovator Mechanical Weeding Machine from F. Poulsen Engineering in Denmark, which determines the shape difference between the weed and the plant and replaces workers who can then be used in other areas. Accepting the award was Bartley Walker. President/CEO of Pacific Ag Rentals.
Audio – Interview with Bartley Walker, Pacific Ag Rentals

2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John Deere
AEM, Audio, Case IH, Commodity Classic, John Deere

Precision Ag Bytes 2/28

Carrie Muehling

  • BRANDT has just completed the construction of a new 2,000 square foot formulations lab in its Pleasant Plains, IL production facility. The new lab will serve as a hub for new formulation development and testing, as well as quality control.
  • Golden Harvest seeds will be a major benefactor of Syngenta’s incremental $400 million investment over the next five years. This funding is in addition to the $1.3 billion the company already invests in research and development annually. Golden Harvest will double its seed breeding staff, increase trial testing by one-third and increase new corn chassis by 58 percent, giving farmers an even more differentiated portfolio of hybrids and varieties to choose from.
  • John Deere recently became the tenth company to certify their Operations Center’s ag-data collection portal for privacy, security and transparency for farmers using this technology. Completing the Ag Data Transparent certification process — based on a third-party administered, not-for-profit evaluation — allows companies that engage in, and collect, agricultural data to align to industry-wide principles to build trust with users of ag precision technology.
  • Advanced Biological Marketing is proud to announce and welcome Kade Haas as Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast United States. In his new position, Kade will be responsible for managing sales and accounts in his specified territory, with a high focus on building a strong network and relationship with current and potential clients.
  • HELM Agro US, Inc. has hired Michael Hoger as its new national Sales Manager. In his new role, Hoger will be responsible for the leadership, planning and execution of crop protection product sales and channel partner programs for HELM Agro US distributor, retailer and grower networks.
  • Helena Chemical Company has introduced four new products to their 2018 lineup, providing all agronomic solutions in one convenient service — the Helena Acre. The new product lineup includes Ele-Max® Sulfur LC, Sultrus™, N-Fixx® XLR and Antares® Prime.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes