FMC Transactions Complete DowDuPont™ Commitment

Cindy Zimmerman

The DowDuPont™ merger should be finalized now with the DuPont divestment this week of a portion of its Crop Protection business to FMC Corporation.

DuPont completed the divestiture of its Cereal Broadleaf Herbicides and Chewing Insecticides portfolio to FMC. In addition, DuPont divested its Crop Protection R&D pipeline and organization, excluding seed treatment, nematicides and late-stage R&D programs, which it will continue to develop and bring to market, and excluding personnel needed to support marketed products and R&D programs that are now part of the DowDuPont Agriculture Division.

DuPont also acquired FMC Corporation’s Health & Nutrition business, except for the Omega-3 business, in the transactions, which satisfies DuPont’s regulatory commitments in connection the merger with Dow, which was completed on August 31, 2017.

Agribusiness, FMC

New and Expanded ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 563After 12 years, the ZimmCast is getting a bit of a makeover.

The new and expanded ZimmCast is here. After informally polling our audience and looking at new podcast research, we clearly heard that you want more. So the length of the ZimmCast will increase with more interviews and audio from the travels of the ZimmComm Golden Mic. The mission of the podcast will continue to be what’s new in the world of agribusiness with a focus on agricultural marketing.

This week Cindy and I talk about what we do at ZimmComm, with some recent interviews, podcasts and AgNewsWire content.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast New and Expanded

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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Audio, John Deere, USDA, USFRA, ZimmCast

NAWG President Resigns

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) this week announced the resignation of Kansas farmer David Schemm as president of the organization to “pursue other professional opportunities in his home state of Kansas.”

“During his time as President of NAWG, David helped move the wheat industry forward, grew its presence on Capitol Hill, and improved its relationship with the media and other farm organizations,” said NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “Schemm constantly worked to get NAWG’s priorities and messaging out by participating in weekly interviews, testifying on behalf of the organization to Congress, and took every opportunity to talk to Members and Agency officials on the importance of reauthorizing the Farm Bill.” Goule says NAWG past president Gordon Stoner of Montana will assume duties and role of president until the next officer election at the 2018 Commodity Classic.

Schemm was elected at this year’s Classic and was at the Farm Progress Show doing interviews and talking about wheat industry priorities for the 2018 farm bill. Chuck interviewed him there and he became a member of the Golden Mic club. Interview with David Schemm, NAWG at 2017 FPS

Audio, Farm Progress Show, NAWG, Wheat

Ethanol Report on the Road with E85

Cindy Zimmerman

With more than 4,000 E85 stations across the nation and more being added every day, drivers of flex fuel vehicles could possibly drive across the country on only 85 percent ethanol with a little planning and a lot of E85prices.com.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White took his work on vacation this summer, taking the family on a 2400 mile tour of national parks and monuments on Colorado and Utah with the goal of making the trip on only E85 in their 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The result – 2,400 miles on just 20 gallons of gasoline – and the rest powered by ethanol.

Robert talks about the growth of E85 fueling options for consumers and his ethanol-powered vacation in this edition of The Ethanol Report: Ethanol Report on the road with E85

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Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA

Grains Council Adds to Staff

Cindy Zimmerman

Left: Tim Tierney, USGC director of strategic marketing/ethanol, North Asia. Right: Caleb Wurth, USGC assistant director, Southeast Asia.

The U.S. Grains Council is adding a new strategic director in Asia and assistant director in Southeast Asia to help increase near-term demand for feed grain sales and build long-term demand for ethanol among global customers.

Tim Tierney has joined the Council as director of strategic marketing/ethanol in North Asia, filling a new role that seeks to capitalize on both longstanding relationships in the region and emerging opportunities for biofuels. Tierney, who will be based in Singapore, came to the organization from Syngenta and DuPont, where he worked on products developed for the ethanol industry.

Caleb Wurth will join the Council’s Southeast Asia regional office in Kuala Lumpur as assistant director in November. Most recently with ADM, Wurth has experience marketing corn and corn co-products to feedlots and working on containerized grain export logistics, both of which are particularly relevant to that region.

These additions complement other staff expansions over the last year that are meant to help find, develop and capture wholly new demand for corn, sorghum, barley, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol.

Exports, USGC

Precision Ag Bytes 11/1

Kelly Marshall

  • National Plant Genome Initiative, shepherded by the National Corn Growers Association, is celebrating 20 years of genetic research.  The historic research effort to map the corn genome has resulted in significant economic and environmental dividends for farmers and society at large.
  • Mycogen’s Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program is working with select retailers and local FFA chapters to offer students a learning, as well as fundraising, opportunity.  Chapter members will receive professional selling training to sell special blue and gold bags of select Mycogen brand corn hybrids to local farmers.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

New John Deere Utility Tractor Offers Ease of Use and Comfort

Carrie Muehling

New this year from John Deere in the company’s compact utility tractor line is the 2025R, which was on display at the 2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo. Product Specialist Demark Cole said the tractor is for residential customers and property owners who need a small tractor for loader work, rotary cutting and mowing.

“Anywhere from small loader work to doing rotary cutting. Equine is a good example, as well, where if you want to drag out feedlots or barns, things like that, this tractor fits perfectly. It has a narrow width and a narrow wheel base that you can fit into small places within barns,” said Cole.

Ease of use and comfort are both a focus with this tractor, which is built and assembled in Augusta, Georgia. It is available now from local John Deere dealers.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Demark Cole: Interview with Demark Cole, John Deere

2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by John Deere
Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere, Sunbelt Ag Expo

U.S. Dairy Producers Win Alltech KEENAN Great Green Getaway

Jamie Johansen

For three U.S. dairy producers, the luck of the Irish was on their side when their names were selected in a live, random draw for The Great Green Getaway sweepstakes as the 2017 World Dairy Expo wrapped up in Madison, Wisconsin.

In March 2018, Ashley Irvin, Tennessee; Hans Greisen, Wisconsin; and Mary Van Rossum, Wisconsin, will embark on a journey to the Emerald Isle for a “how it’s made” tour of the KEENAN production facility in Borris, County Carlow, Ireland, a guided VIP experience at the new Pearse Lyons Distillery, visits to a number of high-performance Irish dairy farms and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin City Centre.

“We are looking forward to hosting The Great Green Getaway sweepstakes winners in Ireland and sharing the Alltech and KEENAN Irish heritage,” said Dan Gard, sales manager for KEENAN USA. “Our customers trust our KEENAN mixers for their durability, flexibility and longevity, and these winners will get to see them in the factory as well as on-farm in Ireland.”

The sweepstakes opened June 28, 2017, during National Dairy Month, and the winners were announced on Oct. 7, 2017, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The contest was open to U.S. dairy farmers who have 50 cows or more and are over 18 years of age.

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Dairy, Equipment, Livestock, Nutrition

Ibach Sworn in, Northey Still on Hold for USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue traveled to Omaha yesterday to swear-in new Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach in his home state.

“Greg Ibach will bring experience and integrity to his new role at USDA, and carries with him the knowledge he’s gained in the dozen years he has served as Nebraska’s Director of Agriculture,” said Secretary Perdue.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Perdue expressed his disappointment that Bill Northey was not also being sworn in at the same time, after his nomination was put on hold last week by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in an apparent attempt to retaliate against the administration for bowing to pressure from ethanol states like Iowa on changes to the RFS. “It’s a sad note when one senator put a hold on a nominee not based on anything that has to do with that nominee,” said Perdue.

Audio file – Secretary Perdue swear-in opening comments

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, USDA

John Deere Features Combine Technology at Sunbelt Ag Expo

Carrie Muehling

This year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo was an opportunity for John Deere to show off some new combines to growers in the Southeastern United States. Technical Marketing Manager for Combines and Cotton Equipment Matt Badding said the new S700 series combine offers three new features: the Gen4 Command Center, the Combine Advisor package, and Active Yield for sensor calibration.

“Right now, what we notice is for a lot of customers it’s difficult to get a good calibration of their yield sensor, of their mass flow sensor, as we call it. And what we’ve got is three sensors, three pads that are in the grain tank, and they’re continuously calibrating the sensors so the customer no longer has to worry about that,” said Badding.

Badding also featured the 635F HydraFlex Cutting Platform, which provides flexibility for farmers harvesting both rice and soybeans.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Matt Badding: Interview with Matt Badding, John Deere

2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by John Deere
Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, John Deere, Sunbelt Ag Expo