The American Sheep Industry (ASI) debuts their broadcast, SheepCast. The weekly audio program is designed to keep you up to date on the latest happenings in the sheep industry.
This week, ASI discusses the efforts on behalf of the nation’s 88,000 sheep producers. Top priorities are maintaining support for agricultural research in the upcoming farm bill and continued work toward ensuring producers have access to effective predator control through USDA Wildlife Services.
President Donald Trump stood among various models of John Deere and Case IH farm equipment as he pledged to boost agriculture exports, loosen federal regulations on the agriculture industry, and support ethanol and biofuels yesterday while speaking to a crowd of about 250 at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Today we are celebrating the dignity of work and the greatness of the American farmer,” said President Trump. “I’m not a farmer, but I’d be very happy to be one. It’s a very beautiful world to be in.”
President Trump began his speech by congratulating former Iowa governor Terry Branstad before he leaves for Beijing on Friday to begin serving his new role as U.S. Ambassador to China. Branstad stepped up to the podium following the send-off to praise the Trump Administration’s work in re-gaining access for U.S. beef in China.
In his speech, President Trump pledged to support and protect corn-based ethanol and biofuels, emphasized his commitment to reforming the nation’s existing trade agreements, advocated for improving rural infrastructure, including access to rural broadband and increased resources for vocational programs like Kirkwood, and pledged to eliminate “the intrusive rules that undermine farmers’ ability to make a living.”
“U.S. farmers produce great products, but you have to work too hard and too long to make a living,” said President Trump. “We’re going to make it easier to produce and grow in America by eliminating job-killing regulations and supporting schools like Kirkwood that are helping to train young people in the cutting edge technologies that are making American agriculture greater and more productive than ever before.”
Prior to his speech, President Trump toured Kirkwood and learned about the institution’s successful precision agriculture program. He expressed sincere understanding and respect for the technologies that have advanced modern agriculture and pledged his support for the continued advancement of agricultural technologies and educational programs.
“If we continue to train our workers in these new technologies, then we will usher in a new era of prosperity for American agriculture and for the American farming family,” he said.
Listen to the full speech here: President Trump at Kirkwood Community College
Joe Funk, Editor at SEED TODAY, was selected as this year’s American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Distinguished Service Award winner. He was honored during the Opening General Session of the ASTA Annual convention in Minneapolis, MN. The award is given to a member who has made a significant contribution both to ASTA and the seed industry.
“Joe has been faithfully serving agriculture and the seed industry with in-depth reporting on our rapidly changing business for 30 years,” said ASTA Chair Mark Herrmann. “He’s not satisfied to just research a topic and write about it; more often than not, you’ll find Joe making a personal trip to see first-hand the subject of his article.”
Funk grew up on a dairy farm in Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Agronomy. He spent 10 years with the USDA and a few years as a sales manager for a regional seed company before beginning to write for the Grain Journal in 1987. He was made Editor of SEED TODAY in 1998. He will continue his career as an external agriculture communications consultant beginning next week.
“The men and women that I have met since becoming Editor of SEED TODAY represent an outstanding group of people,” says Funk. “Seed production is a unique industry with widespread personal relationships. These are exciting times. Each year brings both unprecedented challenges and new, exciting opportunities. I am grateful to the seedsmen and product/service providers for allowing me to have a role in their industry.”
Listen to the award presentation and Joe’s remarks here: ASTA Distinguished Service Award winner Joe Funk
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) annual conference is in full swing in Minneapolis, MN with both Cindy and Kelly on the ground to bring you all the news. To kick off our coverage of the event Cindy spoke with President and CEO Andy LaVigne about the past year’s work and what ASTA hopes to accomplish at the conference for the future.
“We’ve got a number of issues that we’re looking at that we continue to address,” LaVigne outlines. “Plant breeding innovation, breeding techniques as they evolve, how will policy impact them, seed treatment, cover crops– a lot of things that are impacting America’s farmers we’re looking at this week from the seed perspective. How do we make sure we’re prepared to play our role as those policies develop.”
Policy develops slowly in D.C. for the moment. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is doing great stuff, LaVigne notes, but it’s frustrating because there’s not yet anyone under him to help get the work done. One of the first things to move forward when everyone’s in place is the GMO labeling law. It took a lot of effort to pass, says LaVigne, and it has a lot of industry support.
Breeding techniques will also make the list of top priorities. It’s getting a lot of attention in the mainstream media, not just with plants but also humans and animals. When the new administration is in place there will be lots of education to be done to teach staffers just what breeding techniques mean to the industry.
Learn more in this interview:Interview with Andy LaVigne, ASTA
Joe C. Swedberg of Longmont, CO., was elected to serve as chairman of the Board of Directors of Farm Foundation on June 9th at the Board’s annual meeting in Charlottesville, VA, succedding Mark Scholl from Owensboro, KY. Larkin Martin, Courtland, AL, was elected to serve as Vice Chair.
In addition to the election, the Farm Foundation Trust Agreement name has been changed to Legge Lowden Farm Foundation Trust. The six-member Board of Trustees will have responsibility for the Trust and insuring the mission of the Trust is fulfilled. The operating entity has also recieved a name change, moving from Farm Foundation, NFP to Trust to Farm Foundation.
FLM+ and Harvest PR & Marketing are creating a new company by merging their portfolios across the farm, food, environmental sciences and lifestyle spectrum. The new organization has been rebranded FLM Harvest.
Both firms have seen rapid growth in the past ten years and have become two of the most successful agencies in the food and agriculture space. Together, they will have more than 80 team members across the nation.
“Our goal is to harness the combined expertise of both teams and create an organization that delivers innovative solutions and results to clients in the industries that we serve,” said Heidi Nelson, executive vice president of FLM Harvest, and founder of Harvest PR. “We’re excited to bring consumer insights to our combined clients and proud to join with a company that is farmer driven and so deeply rooted in agriculture.”
Agri-Pulse is welcoming Sandra Cowherd to their staff as Editorial Coordinator. Cowherd has worked in communications for 15 years, as a news reporter, a production and marketing assistant, and in various other roles for radio groups including social media promotion. Originally from a farm in Missouri, Cowherd holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
“As someone who understands both agriculture and the communications industry, we are pleased to have Sandra on board to help us managing our expanding web content and to assist with event planning,” said Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant.
RFA’s Geoff Cooper receives High Octane Award from BBI’s Tom Bryan
The award, established in 2000 by BBI International, recognizes a person “who has helped the ethanol industry mature and progress over the years” and “whose passion and unstoppable pursuits have significantly benefited the ethanol industry.”
“In receiving the High Octane Award, Geoff joins a prestigious list of passionate and committed industry champions,” said BBI President Tom Bryan. “Since the inception of the FEW awards 18 years ago, only two other trade association staff members have received this accolade. That says a lot about who Geoff is, and how much he’s done to help grow our industry.”
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this year’s High Octane Award. There is no greater compliment than knowing the leaders of this industry consider my contributions worthy of such special recognition,” Cooper said. “I have been extremely fortunate to serve an industry and organization whose values align so well with my own. I sincerely admire this industry and everything it stands for. It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside the RFA Board of Directors and staff for the past nine years; their devotion to improving our nation’s economic security and environmental health has been truly inspiring. In reality, this award is a tribute to the many achievements of the RFA, its member companies, and its dedicated staff,” he added.
Geoff talks about how growing up on a farm and serving in the military led to his career in the ethanol industry. Interview with Geoff Cooper, RFA
2017 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photos
To celebrate National Pollinator Week, Bayer Bee Care has granted funding to 58 projects that will focus on forage planting. Projects in more than 30 states and Washington D.C. and will recieve between $1,000 and $5,000 in hopes of meeting Feed a Bee‘s latest initiative of forage planting in every state by the end of 2018.
“It’s thrilling to see so much interest around the country in such a short amount of time,” said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager, Bayer North American Bee Care Program. “We’re more than halfway to accomplishing our goal after the first round of proposals with more than a year and a half left in the initiative. It’s rewarding to see organizations across the country come together with one common goal: providing quality nutrients for pollinators. We look forward to seeing all the creative project ideas yet to come!”
Kickoff for the projects began Saturday, June 17 in Washington D.C. and the first Family Garden Day of 2017. Round one of grant recipients include:Read More
More than 20,000 pork producers and ag professionals from throughout the world attended the 29th World Pork Expo, June 7-9, in Des Moines. Presented by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the 2017 Expo hosted more than 1,000 international guests from nearly 40 countries. We spent the days mainly in the media room covering the latest from the pork community. Content has been accumulated in its own Virtual Ag Newsroom at AgNewswire sponsored by Aptimmune Biologics.
This virtual newsroom includes links to photos, audio, and video from the conference. All content posted here is available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. Credit can be given to AgNewsWire.
Highlights Include:
“World Pork Expo gives producers the opportunity to see and touch the newest products and technologies for their pork businesses,” says Ken Maschhoff, NPPC president and Illinois pork producer. “It’s a place for producers to interact with each other and share ideas. It also gives employees at all levels a chance to learn, deepen their connection to pork production and have some fun.” Interview with Ken Maschhoff, NPPC president
The National Pork Board, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced a new program during this year’s expo. The Secure Pork Supply Plan is a voluntary program designed to support American farmers during a foreign animal disease outbreak. The plan is supported by health officials, not only because it will support them during an outbreak, but also because it can help with understanding where the disease is and isn’t. Interview with Patrick Webb, National Pork Board
On opening day of World Pork Expo, Aptimmune Biologics launched the world’s first commercially available mucosal PRRSV vaccine for swine. “Aptimmune has benefited from ground-breaking research conducted at the University of Illinois, The Ohio State University, and several private companies,” said Aptimmune CEO Aaron Gilbertie during a press conference. “We are proud the launch of BARRICADE® validates our collaborative innovation model. We are exceptionally pleased with early customer feedback. In the coming months, we expect to launch additional vaccines formulated with BARRICADE®, including influenza.” Interview with Aptimmune CEO Aaron Gilbertie
All photos from #WPX17 can be viewed and/or downloaded here: 2017 World Pork Expo photos
