AFBF Endorses Farmers for Free Trade

Cindy Zimmerman

American Farm Bureau Federation Zippy Duvall took part in a press conference this week to support Farmers for Free Trade, a bipartisan campaign to rebuild support for trade at the grassroots level.

Farmers for Free Trade, led by former Senators Max Baucus and Richard Lugar, is a bipartisan, non-profit organization that informs, mobilizes and amplifies the voice of U.S. farmers and ranchers who depend on worldwide markets. This critical grassroots push comes at a time when trade is under fire, despite the fact that U.S. farmers export half of all major commodities, contributing to a $20 billion agricultural trade surplus this year and supporting millions of rural jobs.

The press conference call also included remarks from Farmers for Free Trade Co-Chairs Baucus and Lugar, Sara Lilygren, President of the Farmers for Free Trade Board; and Kansas Farm Bureau President Rich Felts.

Thanks to Julie Harker with Brownfield Ag News for sharing the audio – but there is a lot of background and extraneous noise, likely caused by the number of participants on open lines.
FFT presser opening comments
FFT presser questions

AFBF, Ag Groups, Audio, Trade

FS FAST STOP Retailers Registered as TOP TIER™ Diesel Fuel Sites

Cindy Zimmerman

FS FAST STOP locations are among the first to become registered TOP TIER™ Diesel Fuel sites under a program developed by leading diesel equipment manufacturers who recognized the benefits of additized diesel fuel in their engines.

The TOP TIER program, originally launched in 2004, focused on gasoline standards before introducing a diesel fuel standard this September. FAST STOP locations featuring Dieselex® Gold are among the first retailers to earn the new certification.

“We strive to provide the best fuel standard in the industry by not only meeting, but exceeding, the new TOP TIER Diesel Fuel standards,” said Curt Dunafin, GROWMARK energy services manager. “Additional performance benefits of Dieslex Gold include: cleaning up dirty engines, controlling moisture, faster starts, lower emissions, and extending storage stability.”

In this interview, Dunafin talks about why quality diesel fuel is important, especially with new engine efficiencies.

Interview with Curt Dunafin, GROWMARK Energy
Audio, Energy, FS System, GROWMARK

Improving Crops Through Biological Products

Carrie Muehling

Alltech Crop Science is bringing biological and natural products into crops to make them better. Technical Advisor Brian Springer says the company has a broad portfolio that really sets it apart from similar companies that only offer one or two products.

When working with dairy customers like those at the 2017 World Dairy Expo, Springer often answers questions about how to help improve silage.

“And it’s not only about tonnage. A lot of times it’s about quality. If you can get more milk per ton of the same silage, that’s important. So we really do focus on that,” Springer said. “We have a lot of research done in Wisconsin specifically on those topics. We look at plant health. We look at the nutrition going into the plant and the nutrition coming back out.”

Springer says Alltech has people collaborating from both the animal side and the plant health side to help identify problems and find solutions on the farm.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Brian Springer here: Interview with Brian Springer, Alltech Crop Science

2017 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Alltech  Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Hubbard Feeds
AgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio, Crop Science, World Dairy Expo

National Hay Association: Forages Important to Dairy Industry

Carrie Muehling

National Hay Association President Amy Freeburg has been a commercial hay grower supplying the dairy industry for 45 years. Alfalfa hay is a key feed used in the dairy industry, but Freeburg says wheat straw is also used in dairy rations because it floats in the rumen of the cow. Members of the association also grow grasses for dairy goats, horses and to sell to zoos.

Freeburg says technology has become prevalent in the forage industry just as it has in other parts of agriculture. Her booth at the 2017 World Dairy Expo included a brand new probe to take temperature and moisture readings of individual hay bales.

“The end user on the other end can see how hot the hay got, or how much moisture was in it before it started to cool back down. It’s quite a new technology. The back side of it is, though, that your hay barns have to have wifi because these little probes all have to have some kind of an internet connection,” she said.

Freeburg said the forage market has also become a global market, with China, Japan and India representing important export opportunities.

Listen to more of Jamie’s interview with Amy Freeburg here: Interview with Amy Freeburg, National Hay Association

2017 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Alltech  Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Hubbard Feeds
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Forage, World Dairy Expo

#YouthAgSummit Explores Innovation in an Age of Acceleration

Carrie Muehling

Innovation can mean different things, but Bayer Crop Science Head of Research and Development Adrian Percy describes it this way.

“For me, it’s bringing value to growers,” Percy said. “It’s bringing something new that they need, that will actually help in their operations, perhaps make them more efficient, help them perhaps access different markets, but it’s also about bringing something that’s acceptable to consumers and that’s a lot of what we talked about today.”

Percy addressed youth delegates at the 2017 Youth Ag Summit, sharing his excitement about advancements in areas like precision agriculture and plant breeding. He was inspired by working with the youth delegates in attendance.

“What inspires me is the energy, the hope, the passion for what they’re doing. They’re discovering things about themselves and what they want to do in life. They’re seeing agriculture as a tremendous place to be,” he said.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Adrian Percy here: Interview with Adrian Percy, Head R&D Bayer Crop Science

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Youth Ag Summit Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer

The Future of Eating Digitally

Carrie Muehling

Caleb Harper describes himself as an anti-disciplinary person who did not succeed in the traditional school setting. But his ideas and his curious mind eventually landed him at MIT, where he now is Principal Investigator and Director of the Open Agriculture (Open Ag) Initiative at the MIT Media Lab.

Harper addressed 100 youth in attendance at the 2017 Youth Ag Summit with a message about the fourth ag revolution and eating digitally. He talked about climate democracy, sharing that today’s world contains the access to data and computing power that could allow the creation of climates for agriculture in places where those don’t already exist. Harper says the face of the next generation farmer is also important.

“People totally undervalue and just don’t understand how incredibly complex the world of agriculture is. So, incentivizing that young person to even think there is the potential for a career out there is part of what I love doing,” Harper said.

Harper encouraged young people to stop talking and start creating.

Hear more of Jamie’s interview with Caleb Harper here: Interview with Caleb Harper, MIT Media Lab

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Youth Ag Summit Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Audio, Bayer

AEM Pulls Out of NFMS Venture

Cindy Zimmerman

KSFB CEO Jason Rittenberry and AEM President Dennis Slater sign letter at 2017 NFMS

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has withdrawn from a proposed collaborative venture with the Kentucky State Fair Board (KSFB) for the National Farm Machinery Show, which was announced in February at the 2017 show.

AEM and KSFB had signed a letter of intent and announced a verbal agreement under which AEM would assist with the management and co-production of the annual indoor farm machinery show which has been held at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville for 52 years. However, according to AEM, “the two parties were not able to reach a final agreement on how to proceed forward and as a result, AEM’s Ag Sector Board has decided to withdraw from the proposed venture with the KSFB for the National Farm Machinery Show.”

Jason Rittenberry, who signed the agreement for KSFB and launched its rebranding as Kentucky Venues in March, resigned from his position as president and CEO last month after less than a year on the job.

“In today’s competitive marketplace, it is important for companies to leverage their presence at trade shows into sound investments,” said John Lagemann, chair of AEM’s Ag Sector Board. “With that in mind, we remain hopeful that we can continue to find ways AEM and the KSFB can collaborate going forward for the benefit of the industry.”

AEM reaffirms its commitment to provide ways for its members to have meaningful engagement with farmers, including its existing relationship with Commodity Classic and additional educational events.

Post Update: Chuck talks with Curt Blades, senior vice president, AG services, AEM, about the announcement: Interview with Curt Blades, AEM

AEM, NFMS

Precision AgBytes 10/11

Kelly Marshall

  • EFC Systems, Inc., a leading provider of solutions for agricultural retailers, has announced the purchased of AgSolver Inc.’s assets.  The acquisition has led to a new Agronomic Planning and Sustainabilty division, headed up by Dr. Dave Muth as Vice President.
  • With anhydrous ammonia prices looking good this fall, AgXplore is encouraging growers to take a look at a product called NZONE GL, a non-detrimental, calcium-based formulation that’s safe to handle. Studies show the product reduced leaching by 47 percent and delivered an average of 12 bushels more per acre.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service plans to invest in 48 new, multi-year projects that build vital infrastructure and conserve natural resources in 20 states or territories through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Senator Grassley Rallies for Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) visited the Renewable Energy Group (REG) biodiesel plant in Newton, Iowa Tuesday to rally the industry in opposition to proposed EPA actions that would cut volumes of biodiesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“This proposal would drastically undermine biodiesel production,” said Grassley. “Most importantly, it’s contrary to statements made by candidate and President Trump. Whether it’s biodiesel or anything else, I believe a platform isn’t just to run on, it’s also to stand on.”

In late September, EPA put out a “Notice of Data Availability” seeking input concerning potential reductions for biodiesel under the RFS, on top of freezing biodiesel levels for 2019 in the formal proposed rule and decreasing levels for advanced biofuels, which includes biodiesel.

Grassley also talked about his American Renewable Fuel Jobs Creation Act bill, which would extends the biodiesel tax incentive, which expired at the end of 2016, for three years and changing it from a blenders’ to a producers’ credit. The change would ensure that the tax credit incentivizes domestic production without subsidizing imported fuel.

Listen to Grassley’s comments here: Sen. Grassley biodiesel rally comments

Audio, Biodiesel, EPA

Farmers Edge and Planet Bringing Daily Imagery to the Farm

Cindy Zimmerman

Global decision agriculture leader Farmers Edge™ today announced a strategic partnership with global satellite data company Planet to provide game-changing global monitoring data and platform capabilities to farmers.

Planet operates the world’s largest fleet of earth imaging satellites and Farmers Edge is now a sole distributor for Planet in key agricultural regions, with the right to use and distribute high-resolution, high-frequency imagery from Planet’s three flagship satellite constellations. Farmers Edge customers will be among the first to take advantage of field-centric, consistent, and accurate insights from satellite imagery.

Farmers Edge president and CEO Wade Barnes says this partnership equips Farmers Edge growers with the most comprehensive, most frequently updated, high-quality field imagery in the industry. “At Farmers Edge, providing our customers with the most concise, comprehensive, and consistent data is at the core of what we do,” said Barnes. “We understand the need for more image frequency, that’s why we are partnering with Planet. Daily imagery is a game-changer in the digital ag space.”

Barnes adds that retailers, co-ops, equipment dealers, agronomists, and other important farmer advisers can now “partner with Farmers Edge and leverage this industry changing capability within their business.” Interview with Wade Barnes, Farmers Edge president and CEO

Planet’s unique ability to receive data from nearly 200 satellites daily could help solve agricultural challenges around the world.”We’re able to collect the entire earth on an almost daily basis,” says Andrew Pylypchuk, Planet account executive for agriculture. This will allow farmers to see their fields as they never have before “on the right date, at the right time, and allow them to take the right action.” Comments from Andrew Pylypchuk, Planet account executive for agriculture

Nebraska Farmers Edge grower Randy Uhlmacher says daily imagery can mean catching a problem early enough to prevent yield loss. “We’ve had so much cloudy weather, if you are running once a week and it happens to be cloudy that day, it could be several weeks before you get an image again,” he said. “The more often you can do it, the faster you can pick up changes in your fields.” Interview with Randy Uhlmacher, Nebraska farmer and Farmers Edge user

AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Technology