American Ethanol Driver Wins Daytona 500

Cindy Zimmerman

History was made Sunday when the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Richard Childress drove Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s famous No. 3 Chevrolet across the finish line of the Daytona 500, 20 years after Earnhardt won the same race. American Ethanol driver and spokesperson Austin Dillon took the legendary No. 3 Dow/American Ethanol/AAA Chevrolet SS to victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona International Speedway.

“It was so awesome to take the 3 car back to victory lane,” Dillon said. “This is for Dale Earnhardt Sr. and all those Senior fans.” Childress, celebrating with his grandson in Victory Lane, called it a “storybook tale.”

“This is an amazing accomplishment and a monumental victory for the No. 3 team,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “The Daytona 500 is so rich with history, and Richard Childress Racing taking home the checkered flag – in this race – in the iconic No. 3 car is truly a momentous occasion in the sport of NASCAR. Austin Dillon and the entire RCR organization have been phenomenal partners, and they are instrumental in telling the wonderful story of American Ethanol to race fans and drivers across the country and around the world.”

NASCAR race cars are all powered by Sunoco Green E15, made with 15 percent American ethanol.

Ethanol, NASCAR

Alltech Tests EPNIX Benefits on the Farm

Jamie Johansen

Alltech’s EPNIX has moved past the proof of concept stage and on to large-scale field demonstrations on the efficacy of the product. We caught up with Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech’s Ruminant Research Director, at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention to get an update.

“We have multiple locations throughout North America, Canada and Mexico evaluating the technology on farms to see the benefits we can bring through EPNIX,” Dr. Holder said.

EPNIX has been positioned to be used as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters and Dr. Holder even mentioned it’s potential for replacing antibiotics.

Listen to our complete conversation here: Interview with Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Nutrition

CIRB Rallies to #ProtectCropInsurance

Cindy Zimmerman

#ProtectCropInsurance was the rallying cry for the troops at the recent Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) annual meeting, and this week’s release of the White House budget proposing deep cuts in the program illustrates what the industry is up against to continuing providing farmers with risk management tools.

CIRB Executive Vice President Michael Torrey they are helping to educate people, especially members of Congress, about the importance of crop insurance to the nation trying to dispel common misconceptions. “Developing the myth-facts sheets, creating the social media tool kits – it’s made a big difference,” he said.

Attendance was up at the annual meeting this year and the third class of the Emerging Leaders Program was the largest yet, so Torrey says they are mobilized to take their message to Capitol Hill for the 2018 farm bill discussions. “I don’t know that we’ve ever moved into a farm bill with so much uncertainty and so many moving parts,” said Torrey.

Listen to Torrey’s address to membership and interview below –
Michael Torrey Remarks

Interview with CIRB Executive VP Michael Torrey

In case you missed the CIRB annual meeting, here are some helpful links –

2018 CIRB Virtual Newsroom

2018 CIRB Meeting photo album

Audio, CIRB, Crop Insurance

Understanding Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Carrie Muehling

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus is a devastating disease in cattle. But many producers may not realize that Type 1b is the most common subtype of the disease. Dr. Steve Foulke with Boehringer Ingelheim said many vaccines do not even cover Type 1b.

“The vaccines that are out there on the market contain Type 1a and Type 2a in them, but they generally don’t have a Type 1b actually in them,” said Foulke. “So, the diseases are all the same, but do we cover for everything? So that’s where it’s really important to know whether the vaccines you’re using to prevent BVD are going to protect against the most common BVD that’s actually out there.”

Foulke said BVD can cause more than just diarrhea in cattle. It’s more commonly expressed as a respiratory virus or a reproductive issue, causing early abortion, fetal or congenital malformations, or other problems. The virus also suppresses the immune system, making cattle more susceptible to other diseases.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Dr. Foulke at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention: Interview with Dr. Steve Foulke, Boehringer Ingelheim

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Zimfo Bytes 2/16

Carrie Muehling

  • One of the first official duties of the 2018 National FFA Officer Team is a trip to Washington, D.C. and Agri-Pulse is proud to sponsor that event this year. The team will be meeting with a number of leading industry organizations including CropLife America, CoBank, Glover Park Group, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, and the Farm Credit Council.
  • Next week, more than 653,000 FFA members will celebrate the role agriculture plays in our lives while sharing the message of agricultural education as part of National FFA Week. National FFA Week always runs Saturday to Saturday and encompasses Feb. 22, George Washington’s birthday. This year, the week kicks off on Feb. 17 and culminates on Feb. 24.
  • The Agriculture Council of America has announced the winners of the 2018 National Ag Day video and written essay contest winners. The winners were chosen based on the theme: How Will Agriculture Feed the World. Both entries can be viewed online at https://www.agday.org/2018-contest-winners.
  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of 13 members, 13 alternate members and one advisor to serve on the Cotton Board. More information is available on the AMS Cotton Board website.
  • This year’s ASTA Management Academy is scheduled for March 5–9, on the university’s West Lafayette, IN, campus. The program is a partnership of the American Seed Trade Association and Purdue’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business.
  • Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) and Representative Darren Soto (D-FL) have introduced bipartisan legislation, the Nutrient Management Technical Service Provider Certification Act, to expand options for agriculture producers to access nutrient management technical assistance. This bill would allow qualified individuals, including Certified Crop Advisors or Certified Agronomists, to act as Technical Service Providers for nutrient management.
Zimfo Bytes

Kentucky Ag Commissioner Talks Rural Infrastructure

Carrie Muehling

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles was at the 2018 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville this week. But just a few days prior, he was among those meeting with President Trump for the unveiling of a rural infrastructure plan.

“This President and his Administration have an emphasis on investing in Rural America. And farmers, as we know, are caretakers of Rural America,” said Quarles. “So I was excited to see $50 billion proposed for earmarks specifically for rural infrastructure. This means broadband internet, improving our roadways, and improving our waterways, which is so important for agriculture as we export more now than we ever have before.”

Quarles said a strong majority of Americans agree with investing in the country’s infrastructure. He said he understands many decisions about how that money is spent will happen at the state level, which is something he supports.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Ryan Quarles: Interview Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner

2018 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by John Deere
Agribusiness, Audio, Infrastructure, National Farm Machinery Show

Maintenance Products Keep Machines Running Smoothly

Carrie Muehling

Farmers visiting the National Farm Machinery Show at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville have much more to look at than just equipment. The show is also an opportunity to consider maintenance products that help those machines to run smoothly, like oil and filters.

“Farmers, like everybody, are looking for a way to save some money,” said Phil Lauer, product line marketing manager for John Deere. “What we want to show them is that a lot of times our filters and oil are maybe a few more dollars per filter or a few more dollars per gallon, but when you see the performance or the capability of those components, both in how long they last or how well they do their job, there’s really no question why you would risk a few dollars for a multi-million dollar engine or a multi-million dollar machine.”

Lauer said this time of year farmers are often looking to stock up on these types of products to avoid an extra trip to town during the upcoming busy planting season.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Phil Lauer: Interview with Phil Lauer, John Deere

2018 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by John Deere
Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show

A Preview of 2018 National Pork Forum

Jamie Johansen

The 2018 National Pork Forum will take place February 28 – March 2, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event serves as the annual business meeting for the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

“The purpose of both organization’s delegate sessions is to really look at the key issues. Producers have the opportunity to discuss those issues and determine the direction for the industry,” said Cindy Cunningham, Assistant VP of Communications for National Pork Board.

NPPC will likely be discussing the 2018 farm bill and trade renegotiations. On the checkoff side, Cindy said they will be discussing new technologies impacting the industry, how the checkoff has changed the way it delivers information and pork exports.

“Each year about a third of the producers who are attending and representing their state are new to Pork Forum. Producer delegates are selected at the county level to attend their state Pork Congress. From there they are selected to attend the National Pork Forum as delegates,” Cindy said.

She added the discussion which takes place between delegates is truly fascinating and their passion for the pork community shines.

Listen to our complete chat here to learn more about the upcoming event. Interview with Cindy Cunningham, National Pork Board

Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Livestock, NPPC, Pork, Pork Checkoff

100 Years of John Deere History on Display at #NFMS18

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere is celebrating 100 years this year of getting into the tractor business. Here at the National Farm Machinery Show you can walk through a little bit of that history in the John Deere booth. So that’s what I did with my host, Tiffany Turner, John Deere Product Marketing Manager.

The walkway through the exhibit winds up at a vintage John Deere Waterloo Boy Tractor which I believe belongs to a farmer here in Kentucky. There is also a wide screen with a video showing lots of vintage photos which has captured the attention of attendees visiting the booth.

Walk along with Tiffany and me in the video below:


2018 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by John Deere
Equipment, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, Tractor, Video

Alltech’s Bio-Mos for Gut Health

Jamie Johansen

When it comes to gut health in cattle, a tried and true product from Alltech is Bio-Mos. The 2018 Cattle Industry Convention was a great spot for us to get a refresher on how this product is performing in the field and at the bunk.

“You will see an increase in immune response, a reduction of those bad bugs, you will see an increase in feed efficiency, health of the animal and immunoglobulin levels in colostrum. Overall, it is just a great product to add to your operation,” said Zach Postin, Alltech Sales Representative.

Bio-Mos comes in a concentrated form which is mixed into fields, in a mineral or in a crumble to serve as a top-dressing or mixed on the farm.

Postin said stressed situations are seen at all stages of the growing process. Cow/calf operations can feed it right before and after calving. It should also be fed right before and after weaning to keep gut regulated. At the stocker level, Postin said it’s also great for ensuring smooth transitions.

Listen to my complete interview with Zach here: Interview with Zach Postin, Alltech

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA