This spring, wine enthusiasts visiting Hermann, Miss., will have the unique opportunity to meet the farmers behind their food and wine. Celebrating the best of what Missouri has to offer, Missouri CommonGround and the Hermann Wine Trail announce The Farmers’ Table Wine Trail, a new addition to the wine trail lineup in 2018. - The American Farm Bureau Federation has presented Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) with AFBF’s Golden Plow award. The American Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio Farm Bureau have presented Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) with AFBF’s Golden Plow award. The Golden Plow is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress.The Golden Plow is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress.
- The World Food Prize Foundation is now accepting nominations for its renowned award that recognizes the accomplishments of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Nominations of worthy candidates are invited from public and private organizations, academic institutions, governmental organizations, and businesses. Nominations will be accepted through May 1, 2018.
- The American Society of Agricultural Consultants are bringing a webinar to ASAC members and others regarding tax law reform and how it impacts ag producers, agribusinesses and cooperatives. ASAC members are encouraged to invite customers into their audiences to watch this webinar at no cost. Non-members (anyone in agriculture) may also attend for a $29 fee. Registration is required. Visit www.agconsultants.org to register.
- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $276 million in rural electric infrastructure to improve system efficiency and reliability. USDA’s $276 million investment will build nearly 1,000 miles of line and improve 733 miles of line to meet current and future needs of rural businesses and residents. It will also support $65 million in smart grid technologies to help rural electric utilities reduce outages and integrate new systems.
- Iowa Corn Director of Grower Services Don Mason has retired after serving in this role for the last 17 years. Previously, Mason served on the Iowa Corn Growers Association Board of Directors beginning in 1997 and then transitioned to a staff position in May 2001.
- The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City honored two of the region’s leading agricultural figures on May 15 at a luncheon in the Chamber Board Room in Kansas City’s historic Union Station. Receiving recognition were Lowell Mohler, former director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Ken Odde of Kansas State University.
Farm Credit: ‘Know Your Input Costs’
The March 15 deadline for crop insurance renewals means producers need to have a good idea of their inputs costs going into the coming growing season in order to compare that number to what can be guaranteed by their current crop insurance plan.
“One of the biggest things is knowing that guarantee, and we can give them that right now, and then utilizing that guarantee throughout the growing season,” said Chris Coffey, regional vice president for crop insurance with Farm Credit Mid-America.
Coffey said knowing that input cost and its relationship to the crop insurance guarantee can impact a producer’s decisions all season long, from understanding if the level of insurance needs to increase to making marketing choices. Coffey said his outlook for 2018 is positive, although he cautioned that after multiple years of good yields, the coming year could hold losses for some producers.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Chris here: Interview with Chris Coffey, Farm Credit Mid-America
Farm Credit at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album
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AMVAC Takes Prescription Approach with SIMPAS
AMVAC demonstrated the next generation of precision, prescriptive, in-furrow application equipment at the 2018 Commodity Classic in Anaheim. The system is called SIMPAS, which stands for Smart Integrated Multi-product Prescriptive Application System.
“It’s an application system that allows you to apply multiple products while planting,” said Jason Jimmerson, SIMPAS product manager. “It’s a prescription approach, so as you can see, a farmer can develop prescriptions for exactly what product is needed in every spot in the field that it’s needed, and not where it’s not.”
The system can be installed on any planter or row unit. Jimmerson added that RFID technology will allow farmers to return the unused portion of a product back to the retailer for a credit. Although the system is currently in the testing phase, the company is planning a limited commercial launch in 2020.
AMVAC at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album
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Seed Treatment Can Harness Soil Microbes
A new and improved seed treatment will soon be available for corn growers that promises to help them “be dirt rich” to reach higher yield potential.
The Poncho®/VOTiVO® 2.0 system is the next generation of the top selling seed treatment, Poncho/VOTiVO, which combines a fast-acting systemic insecticide with a biological seed treatment that provides protection against nematodes. The 2.0 is what positively impacts the soil environment around the root to increase nutrient uptake by the plant.
“Growers understand it’s not all about the seed they planted, but it’s also about the environment in which they plant that seed,” said Greg Ginisty, Bayer product manager, corn seed treatments. “One of the things we forget is that the soil is alive, and those soil microbes can move nutrients from the soil organic matter into usable forms that our plants can ingest.”
Greg and Bayer Product Development Manager Dr. Jennifer Riggs both attended Commodity Classic to share their excitement about Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0, which will be available in seed company and Bayer demo plots this year. Listen to their interviews below and watch as Jennifer explains the science behind PV 2.0 in the video.
Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0 and Soil Health: Interview with Jennifer Riggs, Bayer
Greater Nutrient Uptake with Poncho Votivo 2.0: Interview with Greg Ginisty, Bayer
Bayer at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album
Photos, video, and audio interviews from Bayer at Commodity Classic 
Cabinet Members Testify on Infrastructure Needs
USDA photo
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and four other cabinet members testified this week before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled “Rebuilding Infrastructure in America: Administration Perspectives.” Secretary Perdue was joined by Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Perdue stressed the need for improved transportation infrastructure for roads, railways and waterways, but he also noted the importance of broadband internet access. “Today the high-speed internet is that interstate highway of the 21st century. And we need a ubiquitous highspeed internet system across this country not only for the farm steads and the rural towns but the fields of America,” said Perdue.
USDA secretary Sonny Perdue infrastructure testimonyZimmCast on Agri-Pulse and Alltech
Next week will be a busy week in Washington, DC with National Ag Day Activities, the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit and American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual Fly-in. So this week’s program starts out with Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, providing a preview of this year’s Summit program which features several panels and lots of well known individuals who will be speaking to the topics. If you are interested in attending the summit, Sara says there is still limited seating available.
Jamie Johansen has been in Ireland this week for the Alltech KEENAN Great Green Getaway, which has included tours of the KEENAN production facility and the new Pearse Lyons Distillery, and visits to a number of high-performance Irish dairy farms. It will conclude with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin City Centre.
The ZimmCast includes Jamie’s interview with Alltech’s Maeve Desmond about the getaway event, as well as Alltech’s founder, Dr. Pearse Lyons, who passed away just days before the event started, and how he founded this amazing company.
Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 577 - Agri-Pulse and Alltech
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Golden ARC Awards “Call for Entries” Announced
The Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) is calling all entries for the annual Golden ARC Awards, which allows agricultural public relations professionals to submit their best work for comparison to that of colleagues working in companies, agencies, associations and other organizations around the globe.
New this year is a reduced price for entries.
As an added benefit, entrants receive written critique and evaluation by competent public relations professionals from outside the perimeters of agriculture communications experts. This year’s contest will be judged by members of the Maine Public Relations Council, in an arrangement with the Public Relations Society of America. This procedure differentiates the competition from other agricultural communications contests – allowing a fresh view by peers who are not directly or indirectly linked to the entries.
Judges will assess the entries based on a number of objectives, including audience analysis, creativity, execution and campaign results, especially measurability.
The highest ranking entry will receive the coveted Golden ARC de Excellence. Each category may have winners and merits. Winners will be recognized in the Golden ARC Awards Banquet at the ARC annual meeting, in Louisville, Kentucky on June 21.
There are 37 categories and entries may be submitted until May 4, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Entry fee per CAMPAIGN category is $125 and per TACTIC category is $75.
Outsmarting the PRRS Virus
The 2018 Aptimmune Scientific Symposium focused on the success of the Barricade vaccine for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which was introduced in 2017.
“PRRS is a daunting challenge and a difficult vaccine to not only develop but also manage in the production world,” said Dr. Bob Nordgren, chairman of the board for Aptimmune. “For 20 years, we’ve come up with relatively few breakthroughs in the area of PRRS vaccination. And designing a vaccine rationally and how you want the vaccine to work in the piglet has been the target of Aptimmune and is the result of the process we’ve established today.”
Nordgren said part of the challenge has been that the PRRS virus can sustain itself in the individual animal as well as in the environment when presented as a modified live virus. However, an inactive vaccine inserted as an oil emulsion into the muscle is also not right for this situation. Aptimmune’s Barricade virus presents as a “live-like” virus to the tissue that is responsible for letting the PRRS virus in. The company shared results of field trials over the past year during this year’s event.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Dr. Nordgren here: Interview with Dr. Bob Nordgren, Aptimmune
Fighting Corn Rootworm with Steward EC
Steward EC insecticide from FMC is a new tool for farmers fighting corn rootworm, especially in areas with highly irrigated acres where continuous corn is prevalent.
Brent Neuberger, senior technical service manager for FMC, said offering a different mode of action is vital to growers with high corn rootworm pressure.
“Again, it goes back to being varied in how we manage this pest,” said Neuberger. “We can’t just do it with Bt traits, we can’t just do it with applied insecticides. We have to vary, and by controlling the adults, we reduce the eggs that are laid and the subsequent pressure the next year.”
Neuberger said Steward EC is user friendly with minimal impact on beneficial insects. He said it also offers some control of western bean cutworm, corn earworm and European corn borer, as well as other late season pests. Steward EC is available for the 2018 growing season and is included in the FMC Freedom Pass program.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Brent here: Interview with Brent Neuberger, Steward EC, FMC
FMC at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album
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Command 3ME Outperforms Generic Competitors
FMC wants rice growers to know that Command 3ME is a tried and true product that will be available even with increasing rice acres this year. FMC Technical Service Representative Don Johnson said Command 3ME continues to outperform its generic counterparts.
“We ran tests of the generic products out there in the marketplace, and those microencapsulated formulations reduced the amount of volatility from the old 4EC about 10 percent across the board,” said Johnson, who serves a territory including Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. “Command 3ME still reduces the volatility from the baseline Command 4EC about 80 percent out there in the marketplace.”
Johnson explained that Command 3ME was the answer to reducing volatility that came along with the original Command 4EC and it has been very successful in doing that.
Listen to Jamie’s interview with Don here: Interview with Don Johnson, FMC Corporation
View and download photos from the event here: 2018 Farm & Gin Show Photo Album
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by