RFA Ethanol Podcast

$6 Million to Aid Farmers & Ranchers Hit by Wildfire

Jamie Johansen

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced that the USDA has designated $6 million in aid to help farmers and ranchers affected by recent wildfires in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

“I am pleased USDA has acted swiftly to aid producers recovering from the largest wildfire in state history,” said Roberts. “For many Kansans, the impacts are devastating because the fires not only consumed livestock, grazing lands, and fencing – but in some cases, homes, machinery, and equipment, too.”

The $6 million in available funding, delivered through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), will assist farmers and ranchers as they attempt to restore grazing lands, rehabilitate devastated landscapes, rebuild fencing, and protect damaged watersheds.

“We are still learning lessons from the response to the Anderson Creek fires from last year that can be applied to this response and recovery effort,” Roberts said.

Roberts also talked about how the wildfires impacting his home state of Kansas and it’s neighbors while addressing attendees of the Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit held March, 20.

Listen to his complete remarks here: Announcement from Senator Pat Roberts

Ag Groups, Audio, USDA

SMART Farms Take Stage at Ag Day

Kelly Marshall

This is the time of year things really get rolling in agriculture, making it a great time to celebrate National Ag Day. Yesterday the US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) made the most of that day with a panel discussion about SMART farms and how producers today are growing sustainable, nutritious food and how to communicate that to consumers.

The panel was moderated by Greg Horstmeier, Editor-in-Cheif at DTN and included two farmers: Chip Bowling, crop farmer from Maryland, NCGA Chair and USFRA Vice Chair, and Lauren Schwab, Ohio pig producer and USFRA Faces of Farming and Ranching. Beverly Flores, Media and Communications Manager at John Deere and Andrew Walmsley, AFBF Director of Congressional Relations presented from the industry and ag group perspective.

Continual improvement was the message from the growers.  “There’s a multitude of things we’re doing different over the last five to ten years,” Chip explains.  “We’ve changed a lot of the ways we do farm.  I like to think that we are definitely doing our part when it comes to the environment, with pesticides, chemicals, soil erosion and just being a better steward of the land.”

“Really, since I can remember growing up on the farm we’ve continuously improved the way we house our pigs in order to give them better care and management,” adds Lauren, explaining the depth she goes to to provide proper nutrition and housing for the pigs in her care.

From John Deere’s perspective the technology available to growers is big; smart phone apps, connectivity between data and advisors, and the equipment itself play a big part in farming better.  “I think there are a lot of different components that you can get excited about,” Beverly says.  “I think over all the innovation and integration and the connection within agriculture is what really makes it exciting.”

All this advancement means little if we cannot communicate it effectively to consumers and policy makers, however. “Time and time again we’ve seen it in the fights where we have failed in the past, as an organization and as a whole value chain– of not communicating with the folks we need to be communicating with,” Andrew emphasizes.  “We’ve created additional headaches for ourselves that we didn’t necessary need to create.  But I think we’ve learned our lesson.”

You can listen to the full panel discussion here:USFRA Panel Discussion

National Ag Day Photo Album

Agri-Pulse, Audio, USFRA

2017 Doan Award Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

Senate Ag Committee chair Pat Roberts congratulates Dustin Hoffmann for winning The Doan

The winner of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Foundation’s prestigious Doan Award is Dustin Hoffmann, farm broadcaster with KLGR Radio in Redwood Falls, Minn.

Hoffmann’s winning entry titled, Yearly Cattle Vaccinations in Southwest Minnesota, focused on herd health management, detailing the care and low-stress treatment of the calves.

The Doan was announced at the conclusion of the Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit on Monday by none other than Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS). The Doan is named after Stewart Doan, a farm broadcaster and senior editor at Agri-Pulse, who passed away suddenly in May 2012. This is the third year for the award, which is funded by a gift from Agri-Pulse through the NAFB Foundation.

Listen to The Doan announcement and Hoffmann’s remarks here: 2017 Doan Award Announcement

Photos can be found on the Agri-Pulse website.
Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit photos

Ag Day, Agri-Pulse, Audio, NAFB

Presidential Ag Day Declaration

Cindy Zimmerman

President Trump’s special assistant for agriculture, trade and food had a special message for National Ag Day today.

“One of the first things this administration has gotten done is something you have not seen in at least 16 years,” said Ray Starling during the Ag Day morning celebration at the National Press Club. “I’m pleased to announce that President Trump will sign a proclamation declaring today National Ag Day.”

Starling says they checked a number of sources to confirm that no president has declared National Ag Day in over 16 years, although it has been declared so by the secretary of agriculture and others, and he read the proclamation to attendees.

Starling, who grew up on a farm in North Carolina, talked about the need to “brag about ag” and some of the Trump administration priorities related to agriculture. Listen here: Remarks from Ray Starling, special assistant to President Trump

National Ag Day Photo Album

Ag Day, Audio

Bayer Invests In Midwest Soybeans

Kelly Marshall

The expanded Soybean Breeding and Trait Development Center opened last week in Illinois is all about Midwest soybeans, according Marc Hoobler, Bayer Soybean Seed Product Manager.

“This faculty will specifically focused on Midwest soybean growers, so maturity groups two and three,” Hoobler explained. “Especially for the state of Illinois, we’re going to be providing new genetics that will be coming to the market and help growers manage several things in their field from nematodes and disease to insects and different herbicide trait platforms in soybeans to help them manage their weeds. Just a lot of new innovation coming out of Bayer.” Interview with Marc Hoobler, Bayer

This new innovation will center around soybeans, so for Bayer that means a focus on their flagship brand Credenz, which offers state-of-the-art technology from a herbicide standpoint, Hobbler says, and gives growers dealing with glyphosate or PPO resistance another choice in the LibertyLink trait.

The expansion doubles the size of the facilities dedicated to understanding soybean traits and crop protection products, Brent Philbrook, Agronomic Development Director said. This new space demonstrates Bayer’s commitment to soybeans and the need to develop cultivators that cast a broader net.

“Bayer has made significant commitments and put a lot of energy into expanding their trait development and particularly their soybean breeding efforts to bring Credenz varieties to the U.S. soybean growers,” Philbrook notes.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Brent Philbrook, Bayer

Bayer Soybean Research – Illinois

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Research, Soybean

Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit Success

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit Monday at the National Press Club in Washington DC was an unqualified success, thanks to the efforts of the amazing Agri-Pulse team.

Major agricultural organizations helped to sponsor the event and provide insight into the development of the next farm bill. Panels covered a range of topics, from “Breaking Down the Baseline and Budget Challenges” to “Bridging the Gaps Between Farm and Food Policy.” The event included appearances and comments from the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders of both parties.

You can find all the audio from the event on AgNewsWire, including comments from Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Reps. Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN).
Remarks from Rep. Mike Conaway, House Ag Committee Chairman  
Remarks from Rep. Collin Peterson, House Ag Committee Ranking Member  
Remarks from Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member  
Remarks from Senator Pat Roberts, Senate Ag Committee Chairman  

Photos can be found on the Agri-Pulse website.
Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit photos

Agri-Pulse, Audio, Farm Bill

Ag Census Begins

Kelly Marshall

Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts a census of all U.S. farms, ranches and the people who operate them and it is once again time for American agriculture to represent their industry in the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

The Census of Agriculture highlights land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other topics. The 2012 Census of Agriculture revealed that over three million farmers operated more than two million farms, spanning over 914 million acres. This was a four percent decrease in the number of U.S. farms from the previous census in 2007. However, agriculture sales, income, and expenses increased between 2007 and 2012. This telling information and thousands of other agriculture statistics are a direct result of responses to the Census of Agriculture.

“Today, when data are so important, there is strength in numbers,” said Hamer. “For farmers and ranchers, participation in the 2017 Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity to shape American agriculture – its policies, services, and assistance programs – for years to come.”

USDA

USFRA Celebrates Ag Day

Kelly Marshall

Tomorrow is National Agriculture Day and hundreds of groups, companies and people will be participating in activities that celebrate American ag. US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) will be honoring the day by co-sponsoring a panel on Smart Farming: Producing Sustainable, Nutritious Food for Life with National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA). The event will take place at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. from 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Panelists include:
Moderated by Greg Horstmeier, DTN, Editor-in-Chief, panelists include:
Chip Bowling, Maryland crop farmer, NCGA Chairman, USFRA Vice Chairman
Lauren Schwab, Ohio pig farmer, USFRA Face of Farming & Ranching
Dr. Bob Young, American Farm Bureau Federation, Chief Economist & Deputy Executive Director, Public Policy
Beverly Flores, John Deere, Media and Communications Manager
Additionally, Ray Starling, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, Trade, and Food Assistance, will offer some remarks.

To join in, please register here.

Ag Groups, Events, USFRA

FMC’s Topguard Terra Now Approved for Even More

Kelly Marshall

Ken Smith, FMC Technical Service Representative for Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, says Topguard Terra fungicide is something cotton growers are going to adopt. At the recent Mid-South Farm and Gin Show he explained how the product controls cotton root rot, a problem that has plagued cotton growers in the southwest since it was brought into the country, comparing it to the boll weevil in terms of severity.

And just as exciting as having a product that offers growers a solution to cotton root rot is the recent announcement that the USDA is expanding its usage.

“In the state of Texas we can apply this now either as a pre-plant injection; pre-plant injection means we can go out before planting and apply this in a strip or a furrow below the seed zone and then we come back and plant right on top of that. The other way we can put this out is behind the press wheel. We put a band right behind the press wheel in a three inch band. It’s what we’d call pre-emerge if we were doing other herbicides,” Smith explains. “The other technique that was approved through 2-EE is post emergence. We can go over the top of post emergent cotton with a band or we can direct it underneath the leaves in band right at the base of the stem.”

The new approvals are significant because it saves farmers on labor and allows them to put product in the field either before or after that critical planting window. Topguard Terra can also be applied through a drip irrigation system, making even more versatile.

Learn more about this product in Jamie Johansen’s interview with Ken Smith here: Interview with Ken Smith, FMC

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, Audio, FMC, Fungicide

Bayer Investment Big for Soybean Growers

Cindy Zimmerman

ASA president Ron Moore, with Linda Kull and Jim Martin from Illinois Soybean Assn. at Bayer grand opening

Soybean growers are pleased with Bayer’s increased investment in the research and development of new soybean varieties.

“It’s outstanding that Bayer has put up a billion dollars to expand their soybean breeding all across the United States,” said American Soybean Association president and Illinois farmer Ron Moore. “Looks like Bayer is recognizing that soybeans are an important crop for their business.”

Moore, who farms in Roseville, Illinois, attended the grand opening of Bayer’s expanded breeding and trait development station in Champaign last week along with representatives from the Illinois Soybean Association research program director Linda Krull, and local district director Jim Martin of Pontiac, Illinois.

In this interview, Moore also talks about the importance of research funding for agriculture in the next farm bill, and activities this National Ag Week on Capitol Hill. Interview with ASA president Ron Moore

Bayer Soybean Research – Illinois

Audio, Bayer, Research, Soybean