ARA Honors AGCO Operator of the Year
The 2017 Operator of the Year, sponsored by AGCO Corporation, Andrew Myburgh of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was honored at the recent Agriculture Retailers Association (ARA) annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
Originally from South Africa, Myburgh is a Certified Applicator at the Wheat Growers in Aberdeen, where he treats 40,000 acres of fields and is often requested by name. Now a permanent resident of the U.S., he lives on a small farm with two sons, where they care for a variety of animals. He is involved in the community by coaching a local soccer team and training other applicators in his trade.
Myburgh won a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for being chosen as this year’s winners out of more than 40 applicators who were nominated.
Listen to Andrew Myburgh accepting the award here: AGCO Operator of the Year Andrew Myburgh
Ethanol Report on RFS2 10th Anniversary
Ten years ago this month, just days before Christmas, President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act which greatly expanded the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to include up to 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.
The expansion became known as RFS2, like the sequel to a big movie that had just been released two years before. But unlike most movie sequels, the RFS2 has proven to be even better than the original and a success by any measure, according to a new analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), “The RFS2: Then and Now.”
In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, we flashback to the promises of President Bush at the signing, and RFA CEO Bob Dinneen talks about how the 2007 Christmas gift has kept on giving for a decade.
Listen to it here: Ethanol Report 12-21-17
Last Minute Gift Ideas from USFRA
If you are looking for last minute gift ideas, the U.S. Farming and Ranching Foundation may have the answer.
The foundation is a nonprofit organization associated with the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) with the mission of supporting sustainability and consumer education in American culture. And it is the way that individuals can donate to support that cause by making a simple donation or by buying an e-cookbook to contribute.
“Recipes from the Farm and Ranch” is an e-cookbook featuring 40 recipes from USFRA affiliates and industry partners like Good Ole Country Dressing from Texas Farm Bureau, Midwest Pork Tenderloin from Iowa Pork Producers Association, and Best Breakfast Banana Bread from the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. The cookbook is only $9.99 from Blurb.com, and can be downloaded immediately for viewing on Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple iPad, Android devices, and Mac or PC computers.
USFRA CEO Randy Krotz talks about how the cookbook was developed and how the foundation helps support the mission of the alliance. Interview with USFRA CEO Randy Krotz
Zimfo Bytes 12/22
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- Ninety-nine percent of U.S. farms are family farms, and they accounted for 90 percent of farm production in 2016, according to America’s Diverse Family Farms – 2017 Edition. Farming is still overwhelmingly comprised of family businesses. More than a third of farms have multiple operators, and larger farms are more likely to have multiple generations of farm operators. Farm households in general are not low income when compared with all U.S. households. This report provides an overview of U.S. farms, including the latest statistics on production, financial performance, and farm household characteristics by farm size categories.
- Beck Ag, Inc. is expanding its client solutions and optimization teams with the hiring of Melinda Oberly and Srikanth (Sonny) Dasari. Oberly joins Beck Ag from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and will serve in the role of Account Partner. Following 16 years in the software development arena, Dasari joins as Beck Ag’s Intelligence Solutions Architect.
- Illinois-based FarmWeek, FarmWeekNow.com and the RFD Radio Network announce three new additions and one promotion to its advertising sales team led by Steven Peters, advertising sales manager. Joining Peters are Nan Fannin, advertising business manager; Jamie Deffenbaugh, advertising sales representative; and Jessica Wells, advertising sales assistant.
- Swanson Russell recently promoted three people in its Lincoln office: Brittany Lentz, Jeff Salem and Neale Stadler. Lentz was promoted to account manager. Salem was promoted to senior public relations counsel, and Stadler was promoted to account manager.
- Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of 27 members to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. A list of board members is available on the AMS Cattlemen’s Beef Board webpage.
Seasons Greetings from IFAJ
This greeting comes to you from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).
Best wishes to all IFAJ members for a warm holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous 2018.
Thank you for your vital work in helping farmers feed their families, their communities and the world.
Best Regards,
Owen Roberts
President, IFAJ
GROWMARK Reports 2017 Numbers, Names Directors
Andy Jones
Brian Hora
GROWMARK reported $7.3 billion in sales for fiscal year 2017, up from $7.0 billion in 2016. The company shows a pretax income of $91 million, down from $116 million the previous year.
“The fiscal year was not without its challenges, with economic conditions putting continued pressure on farm net incomes,” said GROWMARK CEO Jim Spradlin. “Warm winter weather lowered demand for home heat, and the challenges of Hurricane Harvey on the energy supply chain impacted energy results. Crop Nutrients endured a devaluation of nitrogen products during the peak spring season. Crop Protection and Seed had record or near record results. Retail Supplies and Grain had improved operations year-over-year.”
The company distributed estimated patronage refunds of $59 million to its members in a combination of cash and stock, followed by stock redemption. Highlights included record chemical sales in the Crop Protection and Crop Nutrients Divisions, record-high bushel volume and improved earning compared to 2016 reported by Retail Grain Units, higher sales volumes in the Energy Division compared to the previous year, and an uptick in soybean seed sales. Corn sales were down slightly compared to 2016.
GROWMARK has also added two new faces to its Board of Directors. Brian Hora of Ainsworth, Iowa, operates a 650-acre corn and soybean farm and has served as a director of AGRILAND FS since 2000. Andy Jones operates a 2,100-acre cash grain enterprise in Bloomdale, Ohio. He currently serves as chairman of the board at Legacy Farmers Cooperative, an FS company based in Findlay, Ohio.
Brownfield Mobile App Features Local Grain Markets
Midwest farmers now have another source for local grain prices. The Brownfield Mobile application, available to iPhone and Android users, now provides cash bids and basis levels for the five nearest grain elevators when farmers enter a zip code. Data is updated after the close of the Chicago Board of Trade each day. The free app is available from iTunes or the Google Play store.
Brownfield provides agriculture-related information through a variety of platforms, including more than 450 affiliate radio stations, as well as several social media outlets and digital channels. Serving farmers for 45 years, Brownfield has one of the oldest agriculture news radio networks in the country.
Ag Responds to Tax Reform Passage
Our House of Representatives again passed the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1 (115) today after a re-vote. And agriculture is beginning to chime in.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX-11) praised House passage and said, “Today, Congress has delivered the fairer, simpler tax code that American families and small businesses deserve. This historic tax relief package both simplifies our broken system and sets the economy on a course to stimulate growth and create jobs. As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I’m pleased that Chairman Brady and his team have produced a bill that acknowledges the unique tax challenges faced by those in agriculture. From lower marginal rates to the treatment of pass-through income to improved small business expensing, this bill delivers for farmers, ranchers and all rural America.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today said, “This is a once-in-a-generation reform of the federal tax code and it comes just in time to be an eagerly awaited Christmas present for taxpayers. Having traveled through our nation’s heartland for most of this year, I know that the hard-working, tax-paying people of American agriculture need relief. Most family farms are run as small businesses, and they should be able to keep more of what they earn to reinvest in their operations and take care of their families. Simplifying the tax code and easing the burden on citizens will free them up to make choices for themselves, create jobs, and boost the overall American economy. I thank President Trump for his leadership, and commend Congress for being responsive to the people.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Beltway Beef podcast was also centered around this hot topic impacting agriculture. Listen to NCBA’s Director of Government Affairs Danielle Beck discuss it’s impact on U.S. cattlemen and women.Beltway Beef with Danielle Beck
CBB Names Scott Stuart to CEO Position
The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB) has named Scott Stuart of Colorado as the new chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2018.
“The beef industry is very complex,” notes Brett Morris, CBB chairman from Ninnekah, Oklahoma. “Scott has the background and understanding to bring all those pieces together to help producers meet their goal of promoting beef and getting the most value from their checkoff dollar”.
“The outstanding work he has done with National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA) illustrates the type of CEO we were looking for to fulfill the expectations we had.
“Scott is a visionary with a strong ability to be very productive. He is thorough and productive, with an immense amount of enthusiasm for this industry. I am most excited about his cowboy background. He will resonate with farmers and ranchers from all over the country, helping them to better understand the benefits of their beef checkoff investments,” Morris added.
Stuart has an extensive background in the livestock industry, including board management and as a contractor to the beef board. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the National Livestock Producers Association (NLPA), which comprises several regional livestock marketing cooperatives marketing over 2.5 million cattle annually. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Agriculture Business and completed a law degree at the University of Wyoming.