Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • The National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the Trump Administration to use the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to establish a new, fair trade framework for international trade deals that benefits family farmers, ranchers, and rural residents.
  • Millennial farmer members of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) recently met with their legislative representatives in Washington, D.C., to advocate for support in the upcoming farm bill.
  • Chad Hibma of Harris, Iowa, Curt Robbins of Fairfield, Illinois and Lee Stammen of Fort Recovery, Ohio, were the top three to receive the most votes in the Power to Do More contest sponsored by Restore herbicide. Dow AgroSciences is donating a total of $37,000, with $10,000 to the three winning communities and an additional $1,000 to the communities of the remaining seven finalists.
  • The online showcase for the CCA Communications Contest is now live. Take a moment to revisit the winners and browse through the comments to learn what made these entries the cream of the crop making the judges take notice.
Zimfo Bytes

U.S. Beef Access to China Takes Another Step Forward

Jamie Johansen

The Trump Administration has taken steps toward commercial shipment of U.S. beef and beef products to China for the first time since 2003. The USDA has reached agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to allow the U.S. to begin the beef exports to China.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement: “Today is a great day for the United States and in particular for our cattle producers, who will be regaining access to an enormous market with an ever-expanding middle class. Since he was elected, President Trump has brought momentum, optimism, and results to American agriculture families that we haven’t seen in years and this agreement is a great example. I have no doubt that as soon as the Chinese people get a taste of American beef they’ll want more of it.”

Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), said, “NCBA commends the leadership of President Trump and our skilled negotiators who were able to restore U.S. beef access to China, something that has been a top priority for NCBA for 13 years. NCBA worked closely with USDA throughout the entire process. In recent years, China has become one of the largest import markets for beef, and these terms are a reflection of China’s trust in the safety and quality of U.S. beef.”

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Philip Seng followed suit in praising the announcement. “It is important to note that the market-opening agreement includes requirements that will involve a period of adjustment for the U.S. industry. Meeting these requirements will add costs and this will mean that U.S. beef is priced at a premium compared to other suppliers in the market. With that said, China holds exciting potential for the U.S. beef industry and for buyers in the market who have waited a very long time for the return of high-quality U.S. beef.”

Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Beef, Exports, NCBA, Trade, USDA

A World of First’s in PRRSV Research

Jamie Johansen

The world’s only provider of mucosal PRRSV and flu vaccines, Aptimmue, officially launched during the 2017 World Pork Expo. The vaccine utilizes the BARRICADE proprietary technologies and takes advantage of high-titer PRRSV antigen produced on ZMAC, the world’s only commercially available porcine based alveolar macrophage cell line.

During the launch, I sat down with Dr. Jianqiang Zhang, Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, College of Vet Medicine, Iowa State University, for an update on the cell line and to find out what’s next for this ground-breaking innovation.

“This March, I received further funding from AASV Foundation. We have three objectives for this project. Number one is to compare the PRRSV isolation in cell lines using different specified times. Then, we will try to evaluate the correlation of PRRSV concentration. In the third objective, we want to learn if PRRSV isolated ZMAC cells will grow in macro 145 cells and vice versa.”

Listen to my complete interview with Dr. Zhang and his remarks during press conference here: Interview with Dr. Zhang, Iowa State University

Remarks from Dr. Zhang, Iowa State University

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by
Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by Aptimmune
Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Livestock, Pork, Swine, Veterinary, World Pork Expo

Iowa Races Spotlight Corn and Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The Iowa Speedway hosts two racing events this summer that put corn and ethanol in the spotlight on the track.

The NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen is coming up Saturday, June 24. This is the fifth consecutive year of the American Ethanol partnership and the fourth consecutive year with Enogen at Iowa Speedway. Enogen corn was specially developed by Syngenta for ethanol production with an enzyme that breaks down corn starch into sugar, which when combined with Cellerate™ process technology can increase ethanol production by 20 percent.

In an interview at last year’s race, Chris Tingle, head of Enogen Commercial Operations with Syngenta, talked about the company’s support of ethanol. Interview with Chris Tingle, Enogen, at 2016 race

Next month it will be the 11th Iowa Corn 300, one of the major IndyCar racing events of the year, sponsored by Iowa Corn on July 9. “IndyCars, which run at speeds over 200 miles per hour, are powered by 85 percent ethanol, so fans can see firsthand the power and performance of cleaner-burning ethanol,” said Iowa Corn Promotion Board President Larry Klever.

This year’s race will be one of the premier events to celebrate Iowa Corn Growers Association’s 50th anniversary, according to President Kurt Hora. “Promoting Iowa Corn and homegrown ethanol, celebrating 50 years of ICGA and educating consumers will be all accomplished with this one great event,” Hora said.

Learn more from Iowa Corn.

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Indy Racing, NASCAR

Precision Ag Bytes 6/12

Kelly Marshall

  • The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is awarding more than $22.6 million for resource conservation. They are supporting 33 projects nationwide that support conservation through developing tools, technologies, or strategies.
  • BRANDT has created eleven formulations that are now approved for tank mixing with the new Dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides from Monsanto, BASF, Dow and DuPont. They include four nutritional formulations and seven adjuvants that have been developed by BRANDT and tested by herbicide manufacturers following protocols and requirements set by the EPA.
  • Agri-Inject, an industry leader in quality chemigation and fluid application technology, is spreading the news that the hard and fast rule of one pound of nitrogen for a bushel of corn is changing, thanks to variable-rate fertigation.  Check out their website for details.
AgWired Precision, Zimfo Bytes

Trump’s Commitment to Infrastructure Pleases Ag Groups

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers were among those who joined President Trump last week in Cincinnati to highlight the economic importance of the inland waterways system and the need to invest in upgrades to the locks and dams.

“Roughly 60 percent of the United States grain exports travel down these waterways to the Gulf,” said Trump in his remarks.

Upgrading the inland waterways infrastructure is a top priority for agricultural organizations, including the American Soybean Association and National Corn Growers Association. “We’ve long maintained that the quality of our infrastructure networks in the United States—road, rail, waterways and ports—is directly connected to the competitive advantage we have over other soybean producing countries,” said Kendell Culp, who farms in Rensselaer, Indiana and was at the Trump announcement last week.

President Trump’s infrastructure plan also includes a $200 billion investment in rural infrastructure.

Listen to Trump’s remarks here: Pres. Trump infrastructure remarks

ASA, Audio, Corn, NCGA

NPPC Gives Voice to Producer Concerns

Kelly Marshall

Deputy Director of Economics and Domestic Production Issues for the National Pork Producers Council, Dustin Baker, was at the World Pork Expo last week talking with producers about their concerns for the future of the industry.

Trade is always at the top of that list, Baker says, since pork is a global market, but already NPPC is looking forward to issues like the farm bill. A vaccine to combat a foot and mouth disease outbreak is top on that priority list, as is access to labor.

“Without access to a viable workforce the U.S. pork industry would lose its competitive advantage- its competitive standing in the world, and prices would increase for consumers,” Baker explains.  “So we’ve been making the point up on the Hill that the pork industry is heavily reliant on immigrant labor on the farm and in the packing facility. This week we actually put together a labor security task force to look to for suggestions and insight into the issue.”

Baker also encourages producers to weigh in on the implementation date of the interim final rule for the Farmer Fair Practices Act, or GIPSA, now set to begin on October 19. FPPC is urging members to go to Freedomtofarm.com to make your voice heard.

Learn more about the latest issues for NPPC in Jamie’s full interview with Baker here: Interview with Dustin Baker, NPPC

2017 World Pork Expo photos

Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by
Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by Aptimmune
Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Audio, NPPC, Pork, World Pork Expo

4 Series Sprayers From Deere See Upgrades

Kelly Marshall

The 4 Series Sprayers from John Deere offer a little something for everyone, Doug Felter says. With options ranging from 600 to 1,200 gallon tanks and 80- to 132-foot booms, these sprayers are set up to provide growers and retailers the ability to get through the fields with timely applications across their operations.

Part of making their sprayers better than ever is the carbon fiber boom, Felter shares. “The call for productivity is ever higher. We know carbon fiber allows us to go to 132 foot now and we think the frontiers are even beyond that for it to even go to wider widths.”

Carbon fiber also offers a lighter weight boom– one-third the weight of a traditional steel boom. Its clean design offers fewer collection points so it’s easier to clean and the material is less resistant to corrosion.

The Exact Apply Nozzle launched in August of last year is also changing things up for John Deere sprayers. The six nozzles can be configured for just the right control, depending on the product being applied. And all this can be done from the newly redesigned cab that offers comfort and flexibility in everything from the leather heated and ventilated seats to the reconfigurable buttons in the hydro handle.

Learn more about John Deere’s latest upgrades in Jamie’s full interview here: Interview with Doug Felter, John Deere

2017 John Deere Reveal Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, Equipment, John Deere

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • This July, The American Soybean Association (ASA) and Valent USA will host the first Soy Leaders of the Future program, a new opportunity for young people interested in improving their understanding of major policy issues that impact soybean farmers, the importance of advocacy, and careers that can impact agricultural policy.
  • More than 2,300 FFA students are registered for the 2017 Washington Leadership Conference, the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each year. The conference begins June 6 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
  • Charleston|Orwig, Inc. (C|O) announces the promotion of Molly Gerber to Senior Media Buyer in the client services group. Gerber has been with Charleston|Orwig since 2012, progressing through the media team.
Zimfo Bytes

Pork Reaches a Changing Audience

Kelly Marshall

The consumer market is changing quickly, something the Pork Checkoff understands well. President Terry O’Neel announced at the World Pork Expo that the organization is putting the polish on a plan to reposition pork marketing towards the “three M’s”: Millennial, Mobile, and Multicultural audiences.

“The Pork Checkoff has embarked on a journey to determine how best to market pork today,” O’Neel said. “The direction may be drastically different than we’ve seen in the last quarter century.”

The National Pork Board has spent the last year researching the needs of the pork market using in-depth discussions with producers, packers, processors, retailers, foodservice, and consumers to find the sweet spot between market trends, market diversity, and tools that reach younger, diverse audiences. The changing marketplace should be viewed as an opportunity, said Jarrod Sutton, the National Pork Board’s vice president of domestic marketing.

Listen to the announcement here to learn more: Pork Checkoff Marketing Announcement

2017 World Pork Expo photos

Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by
Coverage of the World Pork Expo is sponsored by Aptimmune
Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Audio, Marketing, Pork, World Pork Expo