Zimfo Bytes 9/29

Kelly Marshall September 29, 2017

Rural Media Group has brought Janet Shope on board as VP of Advertising Sales for RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 on SiriusXM. Shope has more than 20 years of Cable, Radio and Broadcast sales experience and was previously Senior Account Executive with Sinclair Broadcast Group.
The Georgia Peanut Commission is hosting “Photos from the Field,” a photo contest to help fill the pages of next year’s Georgia Peanut Calendar. Contest submission forms are due October 1, 2017.
Brandon Willis, the former administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, has released a new study exposing the misleading ideas in the Heritage Foundation’s narrative that there is no place for farm policy in America. You can read the study in its entirety or catch up with seven key points here.
DTN has announced enhancements to DTN Connect, its innovative agriculture retailer offering. The system’s consolidation of critical data provides insights for more informed conversations between users and their customers.
WinField is celebrating the opening of their new 55,000 square-foot facility. The United Innovation Center replaces the former WinField Product Development Center and Spray Analysis System.
Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union, released a response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of proposed lower obligations for renewable fuel usage under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The proposal reduces obligations for total renewable fuel volumes, biomass-based diesel, and advanced biofuel if finalized.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced a winner in the Purple Plow Challenge. Kitchen to Garden to Kitchen, a homeschool team from Port Orange, Florida, received a 3-D printer and gift card to support future educational investments.

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Leading the Agriculture Conversation

Carrie Muehling September 28, 2017

Wisconsin native and owner of Ag Inspirations Kim Bremmer spoke to those attending this year’s NAMA Fall Conference, instilling the idea that it is important to continue to lead the conversation of agriculture and to do it better.

“The story of agriculture is much bigger than anything that can be put on a label at the grocery store, or can be advertised in a new fancy ad campaign on the television at night,” says Bremmer. “Our story and the success story of American agriculture is so much bigger than that, and we all have to be prepared to better talk about it.”

Bremmer complimented the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance for their efforts and resources, including the recent movie Food Evolution, as well as the group’s Discovering Farmland school curriculum, based on the movie Farmland. With the average consumer four generations removed from the farm, Bremmer says it’s important for the agriculture conversation to happen on both a large scale and in one-on-one conversations.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Kim Bremmer here: Interview with Kim Bremmer, Ag Inspirations

See NAMA Fall Conference photos here.

2017 NAMA Fall Conference photo album

Audio, NAMA, USFRA

AFBF Marketbasket Survey Shows Food Price Increase

Carrie Muehling September 28, 2017

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Fall Harvest Marketbasket Survey shows a three percent increase in the total cost of 16 food items over last year’s prices. Foods costing more include bacon, chicken breast, and sliced deli ham, as well as orange juice and flour. The cost of bacon rose the most, up 19 percent to $5.24 per pound. AFBF’s Director of Market Intelligence Dr. John Newton explains the increase.

“Bacon was up significantly because of the lower inventory and higher prices of pork bellies. We saw a rally in wholesale bacon prices this summer and fall which is being reflected at the retail level,” Newton says. “Bacon is a sexy food item in restaurants and everywhere else, creating an inventory decline and thus a price increase.”

Newton says supply and demand for chicken is also tight, driving prices higher. Lower supplies of oranges are impacting the cost of orange juice, which could be further impacted by recent hurricanes in citrus growing areas. The informal quarterly survey did show four items decreasing in price: eggs, ground chuck, bagged salad and potatoes. The survey shows the farmer’s share of the $51.13 marketbasket would be approximately $8.00.

AFBF, AgWired Animal

ASTA Support for Cover Crops

Cindy Zimmerman September 28, 2017

The latest Cover Crop Survey released earlier this month will be highlighted at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Farm & Lawn Seed Conference, coming up November 5-6 in Kansas City.

Since 2014, ASTA and its members have helped support this important survey conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) with funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). Past ASTA chair Risa DeMasi of Grassland Oregon says the conference will feature SARE’s Rob Myers and Bill Buckner of the Noble Foundation who will discuss the report and the bright future for cover crops. “We have over 700 attendees from different types of seed companies, and those companies come from all over the U.S.,” said DeMasi. The meeting is always held in Kansas City at the Westin the two days before the NAFB annual convention.

DeMasi says the increased adoption of cover crops shown by these surveys means the industry should start thinking ahead 5-10 years “in order to produce enough cover crop seed and the right options growers are going to want to be more precise in their planting…the goals are huge.”

Audio file: Interview with Risa DeMasi, Grassland Oregon

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, cover crops, Seed

Beck Ag Adds Hugh Whaley to Board

Chuck Zimmerman September 27, 2017

Our good friend, Hugh Whaley, has joined the board of Beck Ag, Inc. which is celebrating its 20th year since being founded by John Finegan and Charlie Beck. So, congrats to Hugh! Hugh has assumed an equity position in Beck Ag and has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors effective September 1.

“Beck Ag welcomes Hugh’s vast experience and expertise as an integral advisor in helping us achieve our company’s mission,” said Stephanie Liska, president and CEO of Beck Ag. “What Hugh will bring to the table will perfectly complement the tremendously talented team members Beck Ag has across America.”

Founded in 1997, Beck Ag made its mark specializing in facilitating conversations with ag professionals allowing peers to connect with each other, as well as with top industry experts, to enable sound decision-making about products, services and solutions. Now, Beck Ag showcases five primary capabilities which clients can access individually or in tandem: Strategic Planning and Facilitation; Market Insight and Research; Market Instruction and Staff Training; Market Influence; and, Market Intelligence.

Agribusiness

Precision Ag Bytes 9/27

Kelly Marshall September 27, 2017

Land O’Lakes, Inc. announced the finalists for the Land O’Lakes Prize: Drone Challenge, a crowdsourced competition launched to help find drone solutions for farmers. Finalists are: Sandhills Robotics, Fayetteville, North Carolina; CreateUAS, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; and American Robotics, Boston, Massachusetts.
The 3rd World Congress on Biostimulants in Agriculture is an international scientific and technical congress to review the latest knowledge on these products. It will be held in Miami on November 27-30, 2017.
Congratulations to Hortau, which has won the 2017 North American Smart Irrigation New Product Innovation Award, presented by Frost & Sullivan.
Valent U.S.A. LLC is launching a Sustainable Solutions Business Unit, a new division dedicated to supporting the industry in the adoption and integration of sustainable production practices for crop protection, productivity and yield enhancement products and technologies. Ron Maitoza will head up the new team.

AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Alltech Talks Farm of the Future LIVE

Jamie Johansen September 26, 2017

Alltech hosted a live video event on the future of agriculture and technology with a panel of agribusiness experts discussing and debating their thoughts on the future of the agricultural industry, new consumer demographics and demands, ag technology, big data, nutrigenomics and precision nutrition.

Continue to follow the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #FarmingTheFuture. Great questions were posed, thought-provoking answers were given and all conversation made us start imagining the farm of the future.

Panelist Included:
– Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts at Alltech.
– Mary Shelman, former director of Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness Program.
– Professor Michael Boehlje, distinguished professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University.
– Dr. Karl Dawson, chief scientific officer at Alltech.

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Alltech, Audio, Farming, Food, Technology, Video

Vroom Announces Retirement From CropLife America

Cindy Zimmerman September 26, 2017

CropLife America will be in the market for a new president and CEO next year, as Jay Vroom has given notice that he will retire at the end of 2018, which will mark his 30th year at the helm of the organization.

Vroom announced his plans Monday during the general session at the 2017 CLA Annual Meeting in Dana Point, California. “When I stepped into this role in 1988, I don’t think I could have foreseen the challenges and triumphs the industry would encounter over the past three decades,” Vroom stated. “I’m proud to have represented the industry as we addressed important issues ranging from Farm Bills to the Food Quality Protection Act and ESA to PREA. No matter which of the six presidential administrations or sixteen congresses were in office, CLA only grew its reputation as a resource in the agriculture sector.”

Vroom plans to stay involved in agriculture after his retirement and spending more time on his family farms in Illinois.Read More

Ag Groups, Agribusiness

Conaway Comments on Cotton Damage in Texas

Cindy Zimmerman September 26, 2017

Harvey damaged cotton in Texas (USDA photo)

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) toured south Texas last week with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to see first hand some of the agricultural damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Conaway and Perdue viewed the area by helicopter and visited farms that were anticipating a record crop before the snow white fields of cotton were covered in flood waters from the storm. “When that water settled out, it basically coated all those plants, cotton bolls about to be harvested, with mud,” said Conaway, who adds that the smell from the rotting cotton is “pretty obnoxious.”

Check out the USDA photo album of the tour and listen to these comments from Conaway, provided by his office. Rep. Conaway comments on Harvey damage

AgWired Precision, Audio, Cotton

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