FMC Expanding Crop Protection for Wheat, Cereal Crops

Carrie Muehling

FMC‘s acquisition of a portion of DuPont’s crop protection business expands the portfolio available to wheat and cereal crop producers in places like Montana and the Dakotas.

“The value in the short term means more tools,” said John Raisler, FMC Retail Market Manager for the Northern Plains. “Over the long term, that’s what is the most exciting. Looking at some of the things that are in the pipeline that FMC acquired and some of what FMC themselves had in their pipeline that will be coming along, it’s new modes of action. It’s a great opportunity to look at what we can do in the future as far as battling resistance because it isn’t going away.”

Raisler said the acquisition expands the portfolio, providing good tools to use for burn down in both spring and fall, and in crop in cereals.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with John here: Interview with John Raisler, FMC

FMC at 2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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66th Annual Farm & Gin Show

Jamie Johansen

The 66th Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show takes place in Memphis, Tennessee March 2-3, 2018. The farm show focuses on crops grown in this region with special interest and history centered around cotton. The Show Manager, Tim Price, said they have over 400 exhibitors. He also shared what sets this show apart and why attendees keep coming back year after year.

“We have a combination of educational seminars along with a great backdrop of the latest and greatest in agriculture. We range from conventional and traditional methods to cutting-edge. This event is meant for the professional decision maker involved in commercial ag production,” Price said.

Price also said it is the perfect time to come to the show. It’s too wet to plow, too muddy to fish, so come to the Gin Show. But added, “It’s another watershed year for our industry, we have so much change, so much uncertainty in the world with trade and farm programs. I think people know they need to pay more attention to the markets, how they can become more efficient; that is what we try to provide.”

Listen to our complete conversation here: Interview with Tim Price, Show Manager

View and download photos from the event here: 2018 Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

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Commodity Group Presidents on Stage at #Classic18

Chuck Zimmerman

Each year at the Commodity Classic general session the presidents of the participating organizations are invited on stage to talk about their priorities and challenges.

This year the participants were Kevin Skunes, NCGA, John Heisdorffer, ASA, Gordon Stoner, NAWG, Don Bloss, NSP and Bill Hurley, AEM. Moderating the session again this year was Mark Mayfield. The session is not only informative but also entertaining.

Listen to the organization leaders here: Commodity Group President Panel

2018 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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Zimfo Bytes 3/2

Carrie Muehling

  • The Agriculture Division of DowDuPont has announced the name of the intended company once it is spun-off, which is expected to happen by June 1, 2019. The intended Agriculture company will become Corteva Agriscience, which is derived from a combination of words meaning “heart” and “nature”.
  • The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has announced the selection of Des Moines, Iowa, as the location for the 2019 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. The event will be held July 8-11, 2019
  • Citing harm to the nation’s agriculture economy, Judge William Shubb of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting California from implementing its “false and misleading” Prop 65 labeling requirement for the herbicide glyphosate. The injunction was sought by more than a dozen leading agriculture groups and supported by eleven attorneys general across the U.S. The preliminary injunction will halt California’s labeling requirement until a final ruling on the matter is issued by the court.
  • Just over one month after its national launch, Americans for Farmers & Families (AFF) has secured its hundredth member organization. AFF is a broad-based coalition of growers, refiners, producers, transporters, retailers and consumers that is working to ensure President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders understand the importance of preserving and modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to America’s agricultural and retail economies.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of 30 members to serve three-year terms on the National Potato Promotion Board beginning March 1, 2018. More information about the board is available at PotatoesUSA.com, the National Potato Promotion Board’s website.
  • One of NAFB’s most decorated award winners, Tony Purcell, has passed. Tony was the recipient of four ‘Oscars® In Agriculture,’ and over a dozen NAFB Marketcast, Newscast, or News Service Awards. Since 1998, Tony had been the voice of the Texas State Networks’ Lone Star Farm and Ranch Report; his prior NAFB membership was with the Mid-America Ag Network from 1983 to 1988.
  • TOMRA Food has engaged Porter Novelli as its new global public relations agency. Porter Novelli is an award-winning and leading agency, serving agriculture, food, consumer and technology clients worldwide.
Zimfo Bytes

Buy Two, Save 3 with AMVAC

Carrie Muehling

AMVAC Chemical Corporation is offering growers a Buy 2 Save 3 = $3/acre rebate when they choose a qualifying granular or liquid insecticide and pair it with Impact or ImpactZTM corn herbicide.

“We have a wide range of insecticide options familiar to growers,” said Jim Lappin, AMVAC crop marketing manager for corn and soybeans. “Depending on your weeds and your needs, you can combine one of our insecticides with one of our herbicides, fit the way you farm, and save some money.”

Qualifying granular and liquid insecticides include the following:
– Aztec®HC Higher Concentration Granules
– Aztec 4.67G SmartBox®
– Aztec 4.67 Bags
– SmartChoice®HC Higher Concentration Granules
– Counter® Insecticide
– Force® 3G SmartBox
– IndexTM Liquid At-Plant Insecticide
– Xpedient® Plus™V Insecticide

Growers can learn more at http://www.buy2save3.com/.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim Lappin here: Interview with Jim Lappin, AMVAC

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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