Bayer #AgVocacy Forum Virtual Newsroom

Lizzy Schultz March 9, 2017

Bayer Crop Science once again hosted its annual #AgVocacy Forum to kick off this year’s Commodity Classic, with two days of educational sessions on the importance of telling agriculture’s story occurring in the days leading up to Commodity Classic.

The ZimmComm team enjoyed this year’s Forum as much as last year’s. It was incredibly well done, informative, and full of insight from some of the agriculture industry’s greatest thinkers. We have been posting interviews and session audio since the Forum began last week, and we intend to write more posts in the coming week, but all of our audio from the Forum is currently compiled in the #AgVocacy Forum Virtual Newsroom over on AgNewsWire.

Be sure to stop by and check out our extensive compilation of interviews, we promise there is something interesting for everyone!

Bayer #AgVocacy Forum Virtual Newsroom

Bayer, Commodity Classic

Beyond the Farm Gate – It’s All About Passion

Jamie Johansen March 9, 2017

This is the 12th year Bayer CropScience has brought a diverse group of ag voices together to talk about key agricultural issues and the importance of advocating for our industry. One panel during the 2017 Bayer AgVocacy Forum brought a team of farmers together to discuss Beyond the Farm Gate: Today’s Challenges Create Tomorrow’s Opportunities. Panelist included: Deb Gangwish, Co-Owner, PG Farms, Inc. and The Diamond “G”; Jay Hill, Grower, Hill Farms and Wholesome Valley Farms; and Ray Gaesser, Grower, Gaesser Farms.

Each had a similar yet unique message to bring to the table. I was able to catch up with Jay to learn more about his very diverse vegetable and nut operation in New Mexico. He put it simply, “It’s all about passion. People can tell if you are truly passionate about what you do.”

“We live by the three T’s…Trust, Taste and Transparency. As a person who probably has the most important job in the world, providing people with nutrient dense, wholesome food is my job and people must trust me. I have to make sure I grow something that tastes great. And I want to make sure whatever I do is transparent. As a producer, it’s time for us to step off the farm, put the suit and tie on and get in front of people.”

Jay said he would like to see more ag producers put on their political hats and make their voices heard on policy issues that impact them. One key issue in agriculture we are all discussing is farm labor. Jay knows the importance of this issue first-hand. “As we look at immigration, we have to find a way to streamline the process for people who want to come here to work and make sure we get those people into our tax base. We need to make sure when they come here to work they aren’t sending everything back home. That’s what is happening right now.”

Jay understands the impact social media plays in today’s world of communicating. Learn more about those efforts and how he communicates with his consumers in our complete chat here: Interview with Jay Hill, Hill Farms & Wholesome Valley Farms

Listen to the complete panel discussion here: Panel: Beyond the Farm Gate

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Bayer AgVocate Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Crop Science, Farming, Food

John Deere C850 Air Cart for Small-Grain Producers

Jamie Johansen March 9, 2017

The John Deere C850 Air Cart sat centerstage in their booth during the 2017 Commodity Classic. At times you even had to wait in line for a chance to climb the latter for a birds eye view and get a first-hand look at the cart’s 850-bushel carrying capacity. Tyson Harris, product manager at John Deere, also had a line of farmers anxiously waiting to get their questions answered and learn how this piece of equipment can help them drill more acres per day.

Tyson said the C850 Air Cart is equipped with John Deere’s AirPower™ 2 system giving farmers the capability to put out 550 pounds of product per acre, accurately and on a 15 degree slope across the width of the drill.

“If you are a producer who defines performance in terms of productivity, technology integration and accuracy then the C850 is the air cart for you,” Tyson said.

“I think the thing producers want to know the most is the capability of the system. They want to know the size of the tank, what are the tanks splits to see if it fits an ideal prospective on their farm and they want to understand pricing. With commodity prices the way they are, they want to make sure our product is competitive on the marketplace. I think John Deere has done a great job of providing a right price point, but also providing a machine that gives you value and a return to the producer,” Tyson added.

A limited release of the C850 Air Cart took place in Canada last year and it has officially been released in the United States this spring and will be available for model year 18 for ordering. Listen to my complete interview with Tyson here: Interview with Tyson Harris, John Deere

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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Commodity Classic coverage made possible by Farmers Edge

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, Grains, John Deere

#ICYMI: The #Classic17 Virtual Newsroom

Lizzy Schultz March 8, 2017

Our ZimmComm team is busy at work bringing all of you our complete coverage from last week’s Commodity Classic. For those of you unable to attend, or those who may not have been able to catch all of the week’s events, our coverage has got you covered! Besides the posts we are uploading daily to AgWired, we have links to all of our posts and interviews compiled in the Commodity Classic Virtual Newsroom over on AgNewsWire.

A big thank you is in order to our Commodity Classic Virtual Newsroom sponsors, John Deere, Farmer’s Edge, and FMC. Audio and articles from general sessions, trade show interviews, keynote speeches, and press conferences are available for your listening pleasure, as well as links to our Commodity Classic photo album.

Be sure to head over there today, and keep coming back as we continue to update the sites!

Commodity Classic Virtual Newsroom

Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by

Commodity Classic

The AgLaunch Startup Station Debuts at #MSFGS17

Chuck Zimmerman March 8, 2017

A new program that debuted during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show was the AgLaunch Startup Station. This idea caught my eye as an entrepreneur and AgNerd because the potential for new technologies and startup companies is huge, I tell you, HUGE. I sat down with Pete Nelson, Chairman/CEO, Ag Innovation Development Group, to learn about the AgLaunch innovation platform. There is a lot to this effort that has been in development for years now.

There are three programs that AgLaunch is working on in 2017. These include an AgLauch Accelerator, AgLaunch Farmer Network and the AgLaunch Startup Station that is really the focus of this post. Pete and I sat down outside the room in which startup principals were giving presentations to a panel of judges. And in case you are wondering, there was money at stake.

BTW, my friend Bruce Rasa, AgVoice, was the first presenter in the AgLaunch Startup Station. You can find a lot more information about the three programs mentioned above here.

Listen to this week’s program here: ZimmCast with Pete Nelson, AgLaunch

AgLaunch™ continues to expand its farm-centric innovation platform to accelerate the process of bringing new ideas into agriculture. The organization offers a one-stop shop for researchers, farmers, logistic providers, processors, non-profits, investors and corporate partners to help validate and grow new ideas in the agricultural space. The initiative is focused on the Mid-South region with an international footprint through its open source programs and support network.

“With a growing world population, agriculture must advance and adapt to keep up,” Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton said. “Farmers are natural innovators. AgLaunch’s farm-focused model is matching farmers with new and improved technology and resources to help solve global problems, while catalyzing economic growth in our region.”

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

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Ag Groups, Audio, Farm Shows, ZimmCast

3RIVE 3D Keeps up with Faster Planters

Cindy Zimmerman March 8, 2017

Keeping up with high speed planters like John Deere’s ExactEmerge can be a challenge for in-furrow applications of products like FMC’s Capture insecticide, but 3RIVE 3D application technology makes it happen.

Bill Voorhees of central Illinois has used 3Rive 3D system on his operation for three years. “We’re planting at eight miles an hour and we were surprised to see that it left a continuous ribbon of foam across the field,” he said during an interview at Commodity Classic. That foam is key to covering more ground in less time with fewer refills. “The insecticide system holds almost 500 acres of product,” says Voorhees. “It’s a simple, clean system.”

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Bill Voorhees, Illinois farmer

2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by

Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, FMC, Video

Farm Economy, Tech & Legacy of John Deere

Jamie Johansen March 8, 2017

“I’m an advocate for agriculture because I think it’s the finest industry in the world.” Those words spoken by John Lagemann, Senior VP, Sales & Marketing for the Agriculture and Turf Division, who has 35 years with John Deere – which in itself is a true testament.

Lagemann had a busy schedule at the 2017 Commodity Classic, not only wearing his John Deere hat, but also representing the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Board of Directors as Agriculture Chair. However, he was not too busy to spend some time talking about the overall farm economy and how John Deere is helping their customers farm smarter.

“We believe the long term tailwinds of agriculture are still strong,” Lagemann says. “Agriculture is still a cyclical business. It’s cyclical because demand and supply on a world basis matters. Right now we are going through one of those cycles that is tough for people within the industry. Having said that, I believe the professionalism through our producers is better than it has ever been. They have learned to deal with variables in pricing of commodities, in interest rates, in input costs, etc. They have learned to manage those risks and as a result, the health of our producers is strong.”

Moving into the topic of technology, Lagemann said it really started in the early 2000’s with guidance. “Now you have the whole wave of communication. Technology and bandwidth has improved. Communication has become a lot more available. And you have the whole realm of agronomic data that helps our producers manage input costs more. If you understand your agronomic data and can measure those margins, then you can translate that into a better margin based on inputs and outputs.”

Deere has again been included in Fortune Magazine’s ranking of the World’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies. Listen to my complete interview with John to learn more about how they are instilling the legacy and admiration of John Deere into the future of agriculture. Interview with John Lagemann, John Deere

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, Farm Machinery, John Deere, Technology, Video

LibertyLink Real Yield Sweepstakes Winners at #Classic17

Kelly Marshall March 7, 2017

LibertyLink Real Yield grand prize winner Gary Tretter (center) with November cotton winner Andy Carthel and November soybean winner Mark Hardy

Last year was the second year for the LibertyLink Real Yield Sweepstakes, which gave away 200 acres of LiberyLink soybeans or cotton to two growers each month. The grand prize winner for the year was Gary Tretter from Illinois, who received the 500 acre grand prize and a trip to Commodity Classic in San Antonio last week, along with the other monthly winners.

“We were 100 percent soybeans last year with LibertyLink and they were great,” said Tretter. “LibertyLink fixed the problem we had with resistant weeds” especially waterhemp and marestail.

Tretter grows soybeans and wheat on his 4,000-acre farm in southern Illinois, primarily focusing on soy with no-till farming. He entered the Real Yield Sweepstakes at the Bayer booth during Farm Progress Show and is very excited to win more LibertyLink enabled soybeans for this year’s crop.

Listen to Gary talk about the LibertyLink system here: Interview with Gary Tretter

2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic, Soybean, weed management

Credenz Going Big from #Classic17

Kelly Marshall March 7, 2017

Monty Malone was in San Antonio for Commodity Classic to talk to growers about the latest in Credenz soybeans. Last year more than 500 trials in 6 states showed that, when compared head-to-head, Credenz LibertyLink soybeans offered a 2.2 bu/A yield advantage over Asgrow Roundup Ready 2 Xtend beans. Next year the company is going even bigger with 10 new varieties of smart genetics soybeans, and 2018 promising even more.

The new portfolio will offer a good mix of characteristics and traits, Malone explains.

“We very aggressively want to keep as broad as possible mix of trait within our portfolio, so we encourage growers to rotate those herbicide traits where they can sustain that tool on their farm. If they go wall-to-wall with their production system and don’t have any rotation then they will eventually loose that tool.”

To learn more listen to Cindy’s full interview with Malone here: Interview with Monty Malone, Bayer

2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

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Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Soybean

Bayer/Monsanto Excited About the Future

Kelly Marshall March 7, 2017

Adrian Percy, head of research and development at Bayer CropScience, and Robb Fraley, Monsanto chief technology officer held an informal press conference at Commodity Classic to discuss the proposed nuptials of their companies. Both Percy and Fraley spoke highly of Monsanto’s seeds and traits and Bayer’s chemistry, but took pains to point out how much better they will be when those strengths are combined.

“One of the problem with those systems is the coordination of those systems has never really been enabled,” Percy pointed out. “So we’ve consistently had herbicides arriving on the market and traits arriving perhaps a decade later. With this combination we have the opportunity to co-develop, to do this kind of work consecutively, so we can develop on one side the trait and on the other the herbicide.”

“One of the things we’ve come to the conclusion of in the last three or four years is, that as a company we just needed to invest more if we’re going to bring these innovations to farmers,” Fraley says of Monsanto. “As we’ve gone through [the merger proposal] and looked at it– we’ve had a long history of working together, we admire their innovation and their capabilities. It’s that combination that’s going to allow us to invest more. It’s that combination that’s going to let us invest smarter and it’s that combination, really importantly, that’s going to bring integrated solutions together, which, I think, is really key to brining product enhancements to farmers.”

Promising integrated solutions has been a hallmark of this merger from the beginning, but Fraley paints of picture of what that will truly mean. He compares these solutions to what Amazon offers, lots of choice, lots of options, plenty of transparency, suggestions for better future shopping, reduced costs and a simplified process.

Listen to the full press conference here: Bayer/Monsanto Merger Press Conference

2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic

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