First Soil Health Partnership Awards Presented

Cindy Zimmerman

Four “Seeds of Change” awards were presented at the 4th Annual Soil Health Partnership Summit, Jan. 18-19 in Chicago. These first awards were developed to highlight those members of the Soil Health Partnership who go above and beyond to advocate for the partnership and for soil health throughout the year. And the winners are – from left to right in the photo:

Super Spout – Andrew Reuschel, Golden, Illinois
Andrew is a first-year member of the partnership who practices reduced tillage and cover crops on his farm and became interested in expanding soil and water conservation efforts. Interview with Andrew Reuschel, SHP Super Sprout award

Champion Communicator: Mark Mueller, Waverly, Iowa
Mark often takes the initiative to tell the story of what’s happening on his farm – a vital way to encourage other farmers to consider adopting new practices, and to share the progress agriculture is making with the public. Interview with Mark Mueller, SHP Champion Communicator award

Data Digger: Tom Vaske, Masonville, Iowa
Tom Vaske started farming on his own in 2001 by renting land from a neighbor who wished to have conservation tillage practices maintained on the farm, so Tom converted an old planter into a strip till bar. Tom has been testing the use of interseeding cover crops on his farm through randomized, replicated field trials with SHP. Interview with Tom Vaske, SHP Data Digger award

Ace Agronomist: Jack Hardwick, Beardstown, Illinois
Both an agronomist and a farmer, Jack’s interest in soil health started with his degree in soil science. He then spent 12 years in various roles with FS, AgriGold, and BRANDT before going back to the family farm and starting a crop consulting business. Interview with Jack Hardwick, SHP Ace Agronomist award

2018 Soil Health Summit Day One Photo Album

2018 Soil Health Summit Day Two Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Soil, Soil Health Partnership

Animal Ag Bites 1/22

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Board is seeking the next America’s Pig Farmer of the Year, with applications now open for the annual industry award at americaspigfarmer.com. The award recognizes a U.S. pork producer who demonstrates excellence in raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and in sharing his or her story with the public. The application period is open through March 11.
  • Visitors to the Alltech booth at the 2018 Iowa Pork Congress will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts on modern pig production and achieving overall animal health.The booth will be open Wednesday, Jan. 24 and Thursday, Jan. 25 during the event at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Alltech will also sponsor the Producer Recognition Reception during the event on Wednesday, Jan. 24 from 4-6 p.m.
  • The 2018 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) will feature the documentary, Food Evolution, from 8:30 – 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The documentary will also be shown from 8 – 9:30 a.m., followed by a 30-minute panel discussion, on Wednesday, Jan. 31. The documentary is free for viewing to all registered IPPE attendees.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation has named Barbara Jenkins its executive director. In addition to maintaining her role as vice president of education and student programs for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Jenkins is assuming responsibility of the Foundation’s day-to-day operations.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance has announced that five farmers and ranchers can win a free registration to the 2018 Stakeholders Summit through a photo contest again this year. To enter, farmers and ranchers need to share a photo and caption on social media that shows and explains why they believe it is important to protect their roots. Entries must be posted with the hashtag #ProtectYourRoots with the Alliance tagged by February 14. To confirm their entry, contestants need to complete the contest form here. The 2018 Summit, themed “Protect Your Roots” will be held May 3-4 at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.
  • Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and dairy importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded. Additionally, the NDB awards a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to the outstanding scholarship recipient. Applications can be downloaded at www.dairy.org/about-dmi/scholarship-program or by sending an e-mail to Nate Janssen at nate.janssen@dairy.org. Completed applications should be submitted to the National Dairy Board c/o Nate Janssen, Dairy Management Inc., 10255 W. Higgins Road, Suite 900, Rosemont, IL 60018-5616. They must be postmarked no later than April 27.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

Proposed Rule to Modernize Swine Inspection

Jamie Johansen

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced its continued effort to modernize inspection systems through science-based approaches to food safety. USDA is proposing to amend the federal meat inspection regulations to establish a new voluntary inspection system for market hog slaughter establishments called the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS), while also requiring additional pathogen sampling for all swine slaughter establishments.

The proposed rule also allows innovation and flexibility to establishments that are slaughtering market hogs. Market hogs are uniform, healthy, young animals that can be slaughtered and processed in this modernized system more efficiently and effectively with enhanced process control.

For market hog establishments that opt into NSIS, the proposed rule would increase the number of offline USDA inspection tasks, while continuing 100% FSIS carcass-by-carcass inspection. These offline inspection tasks place inspectors in areas of the production process where they can perform critical tasks that have direct impact on food safety.

“FSIS is excited to continue modernizing inspection practices, while allowing opportunities for industry to innovate and streamline food production,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Carmen Rottenberg. “There is no single technology or process to address the problem of foodborne illness, but when we focus our inspections on food safety-related tasks, we better protect American families.”

“We support the USDA’s decision to advance HIMP as it introduces new pork production efficiencies while encouraging the deployment of new food safety technologies in packing plants,” said National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Illinois. “The pilot program yielded very positive results; expanding the program is another step forward in the industry’s ongoing focus on continuous improvement of food safety and cost efficiency.”

Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, NPPC, Pork, Swine, USDA

4th Soil Health Summit Underway in Chicago

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2018 Soil Health Summit kicked off yesterday in Chicago and all of the proceedings can be found on the Soil Health Summit Blog! This is a brand new blog which is being used to feature photos, interviews and other media content from this annual event. You can subscribe to the Soil Health Summit Blog with this feed link.

This is the fourth Soil Health Partnership Summit, which has come a long way since the first one in 2015. Soil Health Partnership Director Nick Goeser welcomed participants to the opening day general session of the 2018 Soil Health Summit, setting the stage for the theme Rooted in Data, Growing in Success.

Listen to Nick’s welcome here: SHP director Nick Goeser opens 4th Soil Health Summit

Check out the official blog for all the content from the summit.

2018 Soil Health Summit Day One Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Soil, Soil Health Partnership, Sustainability

Zimfo Bytes 1/19

Carrie Muehling

  • Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has appointed five members and six alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2018, and ending Dec. 31, 2020. One appointee will serve the remaining one-year portion of a vacancy.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation has announced that Madeline Goebel has been named the new Director of the Iowa Hunger Summit and Community Outreach. In her new position, Goebel will be responsible for planning the annual Iowa Hunger Summit, which over the past decade, has grown to become the premier conference in the state for those confronting hunger.
  • Beck Ag, Inc. has named Jay Kelley as its new president. Kelley has also assumed an equity position in Beck Ag and has been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Kelley’s new leadership positions are effective immediately.
  • Mike Builta has been named GROWMARK Vice President, Energy and Logistics. He will replace Kevin Carroll, who is retiring from GROWMARK after 32 years of company service.
  • CropLife America has launched its redesigned website, which still features timely information about the crop protection industry, but with an updated look and easily shareable modern agriculture resources (i.e. infographics, posters, etc.). The goal is to enhance overall operation, navigability and present a more mobile-friendly platform.
  • Join The Center for Food Integrity‘s CEO Charlie Arnot for “Shifting Food Beliefs and Trends: Insights Into Closing the Trust Gap,” Tues., Jan 23, 10 to 11 a.m. CT. Arnot will detail disconnects, changing attitudes and trends on important food system issues, and how to engage to earn trust. Register at www.foodintegrity.org.
  • Hoegemeyer Hybrids has selected Swanson Russell as its advertising and public relations agency of record. Based in Hooper, Neb., Hoegemeyer Hybrids is a regional seed company providing locally tested and performance-proven products for farmers in the Western Corn Belt.
  • The U.S. Soybean Export Council and the Midwest Shippers Association have announced the sixth annual U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange and the 15th annual Midwest Specialty Grain Conference and Trade Show will be jointly held in Kansas City, Missouri from August 29 – 31, 2018, marking the sixth year that the two organizations will co-host this event. Follow developments at www.grainconference.org.
Zimfo Bytes

AEM Reports 2017 Tractor and Combine Sales

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2017 Ag Tractor and Combine Report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) shows some recovery from 2016.

“When we look at 2017 U.S. retail sales, especially from mid-year on, the bright spot continued to be the small-tractor sales under 40 HP with consistently positive numbers, while tractors 40-100HP have essentially been flat,” AEM Senior VP for AG Services Curt Blades. “For the larger ag tractor sales (100+ HP 2WD) we saw some real softening at the beginning of the year but some sizable reversals to end at a negative 8 percent, and 4WD drive tractors and combines ended on a positive note with modest gains. So, while the downturn of 2016 carried over into 2017 it began to reverse as the year progressed.”

In this interview, Blades talks about how the new tax reform package has the industry cautiously optimistic for continued overall improvement in 2018.

Interview with Curt Blades, AEM

AEM, AgWired Precision, Audio, Equipment, Tractor

Bayer Award Honors Cotton Extension Specialist

Cindy Zimmerman

A former University of Missouri Extension cotton specialist was recognized last week during the Beltwide Cotton Conference as the 2018 Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year, an annual award sponsored by Bayer.

Andrea Jones, the first woman to be named Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year, technically was a research associate at the University of Missouri for most of her 18-year tenure and became the de facto cotton specialist for Missouri through hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing Missouri cotton producers with the latest information in an effort to increase their bottom line. In addition to leading variety trials and field days, Jones provided extensive research on irrigation and weed control. Jones left the University of Missouri in July and now works in a commercial role.

The prestigious award is voted on annually by Extension cotton specialists who represent every cotton-producing state across the U.S. Cotton Belt. Each year, the recipient’s peers evaluate and select a winner based on a number of considerations including exceptional leadership and outstanding industry service. The Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year has been awarded since 1984 and sponsored by Bayer since 1998.

Bayer, Cotton

DBMMC Now Officially Edge

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s official – Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative is now Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. The formal resolution was passed at the cooperative’s annual business meeting this week during the Dairy Strong conference in Wisconsin.

The co-op’s new name was unveiled in November with the tagline “The voice of milk” and a fresh approach to representing dairy farmer members. Edge provides members with a voice on Capitol Hill in matters critical to their businesses and the broader dairy community. Under the Federal Milk Marketing Orders, the co-op also provides milk testing verification services and market information for its members throughout nine Midwestern states. It is one of the top cooperatives in the country in terms of the amount of milk produced by its members.

Also during the business meeting, members re-elected John Pagel, Todd Doornink and Mitch Davis to the board. Pagel of Kewaunee, Wis. serves as president of the cooperative; Brody Stapel is vice president; and Davis, Belle Plaine, Minn., is treasurer.

In an interview with AgWired last month, Pagel said priorities for the cooperative’s members this year include immigration, trade and the 2018 Farm Bill. Listen to that interview here: Interview with John Pagel, Edge

AgWired Animal, Audio, Dairy

New Coalition Advocates For NAFTA Preservation

Cindy Zimmerman

More than 30 organizations have joined to form Americans for Farmers & Families (AFF), a coalition dedicated to preserving and modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by educating political leaders about its importance to agriculture. The groups represent growers, refiners, producers, transporters, retailers and consumers, including major industry organizations such as American Farm Bureau, Corn Refiners Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Pork Producers, to name a few.

“Farm Belt voters supported President Trump by a three-to-one margin in the last election and they are counting on President Trump to improve NAFTA in the modernization negotiations,” said John Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association and a member of AFF’s leadership committee.

As part of the effort, AFF will be launching an educational campaign to highlight the positive impact NAFTA has had for Americans and lay the groundwork for an updated trade agreement that preserves America’s strong economic standing for decades to come. Since NAFTA took effect in 1994, food and agriculture exports have more than quadrupled and account for 25 percent of American exports. One in every 10 acres of American crops is for export to NAFTA partners.

“NAFTA has opened markets for America’s farmers and ranchers, and U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled under the agreement,” said AFBF president Zippy Duvall, also a member of AFF’s leadership committee. “The current negotiations should build on that success.”

AFBF, Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Corn, Trade

GROWMARK Continues Nationwide Scholarship Program

Cindy Zimmerman

For the second year, the GROWMARK Foundation is offering a $1,500 scholarship program for students in the United States and Ontario, Canada, who are pursuing college degrees or trade school certification in an agriculture-related field.

“In the past, we offered some smaller regional scholarships but as our business has grown and evolved, we saw a need to provide a scholarship to students throughout our core geography,” said Karen Jones, GROWMARK Youth and Young Producer Specialist. “Last year we had several hundred applicants and we are hoping to have at least that money or more this year.”

High school seniors or students at any level of higher education may complete the application here at growmar.com/scholarship. Applications are due by midnight on April 13, 2018 and recipients will be notified by July 1, 2018.

Learn more in this interview. Interview with Karen Jones, GROWMARK

Audio, GROWMARK