American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization have signed a memorandum outlining their plans to create a more agriculture literate society. They will focus on opportunities for students to purse higher education and career opportunities in food and agriculture science and provide resources to K-12 teachers.- The National Sorghum Producers have selected their board of directors. Don Bloss was re-elected chairman, Dan Atkinson was re-elected vice chairman, and Kendall Hodgson was elected treasurer. Larry Dahlsten and Tom Willis were elected to three-year terms on the board.
- A new poll from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that investing in infrastructure will improve the U.S. economy. Most adults strongly support modernizing infrastructure and believe the investment will improve their quality of life.
Feed A Bee Plantings Happening Coast to Coast
The Bayer Bee Care program launched the grant initiative, Feed a Bee in 2015 with a goal of planting 50 million flowers. They’ve now distributed more than 3 billion wildflower seeds and the organization is moving forward with a grander goal- to facilitate forage plantings or enhancements in every state by the end of 2018.
This Saturday will be an important step in that goal; August 19th has been dedicated National Honey Bee Day and Feed a Bee will celebrate with plantings from three of their accepted proposals. Starting in Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York and then on to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, and finally finishing in Placer Land Trust’s School Park Community Garden in Auburn, California, the day will highlight the work being done to help honey bees.
So far, proposals from 34 states have already been accepted, but Feed a Bee is still looking for more partners. “We want everyone applying, whether we’ve already funded those states or not we’ll still consider the projects,” says project manager, Dr. Becky Langer. “But the states we need attention on that we have not received applications from are: Wyoming, Vermont, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Kansas, Hawaii, Delaware, Alaska, and New Mexico.”
Learn how to become more involved by listening to my full interview with Dr. Langer here: Interview with Dr. Becky Langer, Bayer Bee Care
NE Gov Highlights Value-Added Ag and Ethanol
Duane Kristensen, Chief Ethanol; NE Gov. Ricketts; NDA Director Greg Ibach; Energy Office Director David Bracht
“The ethanol industry is a prime example of how we can add value to the agriculture commodities that we grow right here in Nebraska,” said Governor Ricketts. “Through the process of turning corn into ethanol, several other co-products are produced, including distillers grains, corn oil, corn syrup, and dry starch. This is the type of value-added agriculture that helps create jobs, increase demand of locally-grown commodities and attract new businesses which is all part of growing Nebraska.”
Governor Ricketts, chairman of the Governor’s Biofuels Coalition, is a strong advocate of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to help provide stability and certainty for partners in the ethanol industry.
Joining the governor were Duane Kristensen with Chief Ethanol Fuels, NE Agriculture Director Greg Ibach and Energy Office Director David Bracht. Watch the full press conference below.
2017 ACE Conference Photo Album
NCBA Encourages Comments on WOTUS
The comment period for the repeal of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) ends Monday, August 28, 2017 and members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) want to encourage farmers and ranchers to participate. The organization has released a video featuring Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt urges farmers and ranchers to let their voice be heard.
“When comments are made a part of a record – as rule-making – we have an obligation to review them,” Pruitt says in NCBA’s video. “It helps inform our decision-making process; it helps us make better decisions. And so we want farmers and ranchers across this country to provide comments.”
The video was filmed during the Administrator’s “State Action Tour” during which he met with ranchers and received input about how to proceed in the future.
“We’re trying to fix the challenges from the 2015 rule,” explains Pruitt, “where the Obama Administration re-imagined their authority under the Clean Water Act and defined a Water of the United States as being a puddle, a dry creek bed, and ephemeral drainage ditches across this country, which created great uncertainty… and we are fixing that, and then we’re hearing from stakeholders about how to get it right as we go forward.”
A Growing North Asia U.S. Soy Market
To kick off the 2017 U.S. Soy GLobal Trade Exchange eleven Chinese purchasing agreements were signed with five U.S. soybean exporters for 3.8 MMT valued at $1.561 billion. The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and Midwest Shippers Association serve as hosts for the conference where over 250 international buyers representing over 55 countries attend.
“These companies are very loyal buyers of U.S. soy and their purchases of soy exceed the percentage of soy the Chinese import. China imports 40% of its soy from the U.S. Some of these companies import 60% or 70% of their soy from the U.S. This was a demonstration to the U.S. trade and producers that they are committed to engaging with and being long-term customers of the U.S. soybean farmers,” said Paul Burke, USSEC regional director North Asia.
North Asia buys more than 30% of the entire U.S. crop. Paul said that volume of purchases will continue to be very steady. China carries the bulk of that market demand and we will see an increase in volume of soy imports through 2030.
Listen to my complete interview with Paul to learn more about the North Asia soybean market and the growing demand for U.S soy here: Interview with Paul Burke, USSEC
You can find photos from the event here: U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange Photo Album
Nebraska Governor Shows Ethanol Support
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has been a strong supporter of ethanol and he honored the industry meeting in Omaha this week by visiting the American Coalition for Ethanol annual conference in Omaha.
“Ethanol is a big part of value-added agriculture here in Nebraska,” said the governor, who held a press conference prior to his address to talk about the importance of the industry to the state.
Ricketts talked about his optimism about the future for ethanol under the new administration. “This administration has been a night and day difference from the last administration,” said Ricketts.
Audio file: Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts at 30th ACE annual conference
2017 ACE Conference Photo Album
Bayer Enters Partnership to Combat Citrus Greening
This morning Bayer teamed up with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation to find solutions to the devastating Citrus Greening disease. During the partnership press conference the organizations signed a research collaboration agreement. Pictured are (l-r) Adrian Percy, Head of R&D, Bayer, Tom Jerkins, citrus grower & President of CRDF and Dr. Harold Browning, COO, CRDF.
Citrus Greening disease currently threatens the global citrus production and juice industry. Currently no effective treatment against the bacterium Candidatus liberibacter, the causal agent of Citrus Greening, is available. Under the long-term research agreement, Bayer will provide access to its Disease Control know-how and will coordinate public and private research to find novel solutions for Citrus Greening in Florida and beyond. CRDF is organizing the financing of this project, combining public funds with contributions from the citrus growers and the juice industry. The partnership is financially supported by PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company, two leaders in the juice industry.
The research activities will focus on a broad set of possible tools against Citrus Greening, mainly to identify biological disease control solutions or molecules that modulate the plants’ innate immune defense system. The objective of this joint effort is to discover one or more solutions that would be available to Florida citrus growers as soon as possible. Any potential treatment resulting from this research project would be further developed and commercialized by Bayer.
Florida is the second-largest producer of orange juice globally and is seeing rapid decline in production due to the disease. According to the Florida Department of Citrus, from 2015-2016, Florida produced just 81.5 million boxes of oranges, compared with 147 million boxes in 2005-2006, and 205 million boxes in 1995-1996.
“Without advanced tools to control Citrus Greening, the citrus industry in Florida could be out of business within 10 to 15 years,” said Adrian Percy, Head of Research & Development at the Crop Science division of Bayer. “This research project will address key elements of a holistic agronomic solution for citrus growers to help battle this devastating disease.”
Harold Browning, COO of CRDF, added: “Anti-bacterial solutions are considered to be crucial by the industry to preserve citrus in Florida until disease-tolerant citrus trees will be available. This agreement is an important step to ensure the survival and competitiveness of Florida´s citrus growers through innovation.”
You can listen to the press conference here or watch the live video from Facebook below: Bayer/CRDF Press Conference
You can find photos from the event here: Bayer/CRDF Press Conference Photo Album
Relationships Drive U.S. Soy Exports
The U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange & Midwest Specialty Grains Conference and Trade Show in Omaha, Nebraska is running full tilt and Jamie Johansen has it covered. In her interview with U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) CEO Jim Sutter, the two addressed the relationship building essential to trade and the reasons the global market chooses U.S. soy.
“This [event] is just kind of a great opportunity to showcase what USSEC does in terms of networking and building relationships between buyers from around the world and our U.S. export industry and of course the U.S. growers that grow the crop that we help market. Whether a person is buying seed on their farm or buying a tractor or a car, whatever it is, I always think there’s this personal connection and this event is all about helping to build that personal connection,” Sutter shares.
Sutter also spoke to the future of soy. “It’s a growth industry,” he explains. Everyone from around the world is seeing growth, and that’s a reassuring thing, even with low prices. U.S. soy is also sustainable, which is a great story for the United States to tell to the many foreign visitors at the event.
Learn more in Jamie’s full interview with Sutter here: Interview with Jim Sutter, CEO U.S. Soybean Export Council
You can find photos from the event here: U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange Photo Album
Precision Ag Bytes 8/16
The Soil Health Institute in Research Triangle Park (RTP) near Raleigh, NC is seeking an experienced, professional Soil Scientist/Agronomist with expertise in both fields for a 1-3 year term appointment.- Agri-tech company, Inocucor, has added two agriculture bioscience leaders, Carole Cobb and Gregg Bogosian, Ph.D., to its Manufacturing Advisory Board.
- The Soil Health Institute announced five researchers will receive Soil Health Literature and Information Review Grants designated to foster soil health promoting research. The $40,000 in total grant funds were supplied by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
30th Annual ACE Conference Underway
Members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) have gathered in Omaha for the organization’s 30th annual conference this week, with the theme “Tested. Proven. Driven.”
Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says the industry has a lot to celebrate. “We are on the precipice of opportunity in a lot of areas,” he said. “We’ve made as much progress as this industry ever has.”
This morning, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who is a strong supporter of ethanol, is addressing the group, and Jennings says they are very happy to have him. “Governor Ricketts is so articulate, so passionate, so energetic, and he has a great rapport with the White House.”
Listen to the interview with Jennings here and stay tuned for more coverage.
Audio file: Interview with Brian Jennings, 30th ACE annual conference
2017 ACE Conference Photo Album