NAFB Post Election Panel Urges Farm Bill in Lame Duck
During a post-election newsmakers panel at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting Wednesday, representatives from National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association all agreed that Congress should work to pass a farm bill during the lame duck session.
“If we say that the Farm Bill is toast and it doesn’t stand a chance, that pretty much guarantees that’s going to be the outcome,” said NFU president Rob Larew. “The agenda that we’ll be talking about right next year is going to be crazy busy…where there isn’t going to be much desire for talk about beefing up the safety net, I just think this is our best opportunity right now in this lame duck.”
AFBF Vice President for Public Policy Sam Kieffer agreed 100 percent. “We’ve got an opportunity, I think, to continue to convey from rural America, from all across the country, that not only is there an opportunity, there’s a need to get it done in ’24.”
“I am in complete agreement with both of these guys on on that topic,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “This team has things to do and doing the farm bill starting from scratch is not one of them, nor should it be,” said Lane. “I think that the Dems are going to get a lot more reasonable about some of the SNAP provisions…this is a fair farm bill, this is a good farm bill and ag groups like it. It is time to get it passed. Clear the decks and and start fresh the next month.”
Of course they talked about a lot more on the panel, which also included former NCGA CEO Jon Doggett, Camas Creek LLC; and previous Senate Ag Committee economist John Newton, now with Terrain.
NAFB Post Election panel (59:49)
AgGateway Award Winners
The AgGateway Annual Conference wrapped up Wednesday in Austin after recognizing some of the members who help make this organization successful in its goals.
President’s Award – Theresa Fitzsimmons, Senior Business Analyst, Bayer US
Launched in 2016, the AgGateway President’s Award is presented to one individual or group that has made consistent and far-reaching positive impacts on organizational achievement over the course of several years.
“It really means a lot for me personally and for Bayer Crop Science. We’ve benefited from the work here at AgGateway for over a decade,” said Fitzsimmons.
AgGateway interview with Theresa Fitzsimmons, Bayer (1:33)
AgGateway in Action Award – U.S. – Zach Leiser, GROWMARK
The AgGateway In Action Awards are designed to recognize some of the hardest-working volunteers in the organization who have driven significant and tangible results over the past year in the organization’s the mission to promote and enable the transition to digital agriculture.
“Being a part of the Field Boundary Working Group has been something I can really sink my teeth into…being able to work collectively to move things forward across the industry is something we’re really excited about,” said Leiser.
AgGateway interview with Zach Leiser, GROWMARK (1:16)
Ron Storms Leadership Award – Kelly Nelson, FarmBelt North
The Ron Storms Leadership Award was created in 2004 to honor one of the early leaders and proponents of electronic connectivity in agriculture and to recognize consistent, outstanding efforts by an AgGateway volunteer member in promoting collaboration among AgGateway teams and advancing initiatives in digital agriculture. “It’s a team effort and I’m humbled to receive this award,” said Nelson, who is part of the AgGateway Digital Resource Center (DRC) team that publishes and maintains AgGateway’s digital resources, in close coordination with the Portfolio Management Center.
AgGateway interview with Kelly Nelson, FarmBelt North (:55)
Ron Farrell Attitude Award – Stuart Rhea, Endless Wonder Consulting
Ron Farrell, who passed away in 2020, was a founder of AgGateway, and for nearly two decades was a catalyst for the connectivity and interoperability initiatives the organization has enabled throughout its history. The Ron Farrell Attitude Award was launched in 2023 to recognize volunteers who make it their personal responsibility to make a difference in the industry. Rhea, who was honored last year with the Ron Storms award, was blown away to be chosen for this honor this year.
“I love what AgGateway is about, I love what they’re trying to accomplish,” said Rhea, who worked for Syngenta until the end of last year but has continued his work in the organization while starting a consulting business.
AgGateway interview with Stuart Rhea, Endless Wonder Consulting (1:23)Pivot Bio Launches Weekly ‘N-SIGHTS from the Farm’
Pivot Bio has introduced a new vidcast for farmers to explore yield data, track nitrogen efficiency metrics, and hear directly from other farmers who are incorporating this advanced nitrogen solution into their operations.
“N-SIGHTS from the Farm” is a digital hub providing real-time harvest data and weekly agronomic insights that showcase how Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 is performing in corn fields across the United States.
The vidcast is being co-hosted by Ryan Van Roekel, Ph.D., senior manager of commercial agronomy at Pivot Bio.
“Farmers know that nitrogen isn’t simple,” Van Roekel said. “The N-SIGHTS platform gives them harvest data and agronomic insights to understand how PROVEN® 40 is working in real-world conditions. With the “N-SIGHTS from the Farm” vidcast and digital hub, we’re bringing them data from their regions and sharing insights on how their peers are using PROVEN® 40.”
The vidcast will deliver weekly internet shows that feature agronomists and innovative farmers who are benefiting from PROVEN® 40. The first four episodes are already available:
· Episode 1: Wet Fields, Big Yields
· Episode 2: Growing by the Bushel. Delivering by the Ton
· Episode 3: A New Mode of Nitrogen: Where Science Meets Soil
· Episode 4: The N Factor: How Agronomists Evaluate Nitrogen Programs
The website features an interactive map that allows farmers to obtain national and state-specific data on yield, nitrogen replacement, nitrogen advantage and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). After selecting their states, farmers can download comprehensive reports detailing PROVEN® 40 performance. Data will be updated as new information becomes available.
Visit PivotsProvenIt.com.
AgGateway Welcomes 10 Students to Conference
AgGateway’s 2024 Gateway to Ag Careers Program is pleased to welcome ten college students to the Annual Conference this week in Austin, TX.
Supported by AgCIO Roundtable, the Premier Sponsor, with additional support from Syngenta, the Gateway to Ag Careers program offers students the opportunity to attend learning sessions and network with attendees at the AgGateway Annual Conference while making valuable contacts with agriculture industry leaders. This year’s program drew a record number of applications for the award.
The ten recipients represent five different academic institutions from across the country.
Elicia Baranowski Iowa State University
Kayley Clark Iowa State University
Oluwabukola Emi-Johnson Wake Forest University
Seth Givens Mississippi State University
Elijah Gregory Mississippi State University
Mason Greseth University of Minnesota
Sidrah Khan Arizona State University
Brandt Kringlie University of Minnesota
Logan Schaaf University of Minnesota
Jessica Timmons Arizona State University
At the conference this week the students made individual presentations at a special session to share their work, ambitions, and interests in the agriculture industry, and they also had a chance to share a brief bit about themselves in a Golden Mic interview. Listen and learn more about them.
Interview with Gateway to Ag Careers Program students
AgGateway Ag Careers Program students (10:20)
Karen Oerter is New AgGateway Chair
New AgGateway chair Karen Oerter receives gavel from outgoing chair Scott Charbo
Oerter was appointed to the board in 2022 when Jeremy Wilson vacated the board position to join AgGateway staff. She is excited about the future of AgGateway.
“We’re in a continuum of a growth mode, trying to be more global and spread across the ag industry,” said Oerter in an interview at the AgGateway conference this week in Austin. “And just continuing to get more membership across, you know more organizations, whether it be government organizations, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and then some of the allied suppliers that are also interested, they see an opportunity to help the agriculture industry and then also internationally.”
Listen to Oerter’s interview here:
AgGateway Chair Karen Oerter, Winfield United (6:10)
AgGateway Meeting in Austin
AgGateway’s North America Annual Meeting and Conference is underway this week in Austin with more than 150 attendees networking and discoursing on one of agriculture’s most pressing needs to make sustainability, carbon sequestration, and other smart agriculture initiatives possible – accurate, verifiable, and interoperable data.
AgGateway CEO Brent Kemp opened the conference Monday with his annual report on the growth of the organization. “Our current membership is 218 with 16 new members this year. We’ve managed stable to slightly upward trends in membership in the face of consolidation industry headwinds and companies leaving the industry altogether,” said Kemp. “Over the course of the year, we commissioned six new working groups. We have a a goal each year to commission about five, so we’re ahead of that.”
Kemp noted that AgGateway is in the final year of its five year strategic plan. “As you recall, the watchwords for that are create, engage and grow and we have annual objectives that build on each of those themes,” said Kemp. “We’re starting the process to build the next five year plan today. Not today, but just in general. The Board of Directors has actually begun the planning process at its June meeting and we are in the second face to face meeting with that group this week….We’re not going to be coming out of the meeting this week with a fully fledged strategic plan that we can share with you, but we will have that plan ready to share by the mid year meeting of 2025.”
Listen to Kemp’s full report here:
Brent Kemp, AgGateway CEO, Report (18:35)
Yara North America Launches YaraAmplix Biostimulant
Yara North America announces the launch of the YaraAmplix™ biostimulant portfolio in the United States and Canada, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to advancing a sustainable, resilient food system.
The YaraAmplix portfolio is designed to enhance crop resilience, nutrient uptake, and overall crop quality while promoting healthier soils and better adaptability to environmental stressors.
The YaraAmplix portfolio is distinguished by its unique formulation process and incorporating natural ingredients carefully sourced and extensively tested. Several products within the portfolio feature patented or patent-pending formulations, showcasing Yara’s commitment to innovation and quality. Each product has undergone stringent validation through trials on essential crops worldwide and across North America. From raw ingredient screening to lab, greenhouse, and field testing, Yara’s focus on quality ensures that YaraAmplix consistently meets the highest standards. One of the first featured products that Yara is bringing to customers is YaraAmplix PROCOTE OPTIMIZE™, which leverages Yara’s revolutionary coating technology. With PROCOTE OPTIMIZE™, retailers coat growers’ dry fertilizer with biostimulants, ensuring even distribution to every plant and supporting increased nutrient uptake for improved establishment, plant vigor and root development.
In addition, Yara is expanding its manufacturing and formulation capabilities with a new state-of-the-art facility dedicated to fostering breakthroughs in biostimulant technology to meet global demands.
For more information about Yara and the YaraAmplix portfolio, visit Yara.us or YaraCanada.ca.
Animal Ag News 11/11
Industry Ag News 11/8
