Culver’s Commitment to Farming Community

Jamie Johansen

Culver’s CEO, Joseph Koss, sat on a U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) panel during the 2017 Commodity Classic to discuss the role GMO’s play in sustainable farming. Over the last few years we have all seen how Culver’s has gone out of the way to support agriculture and Cindy sat down with Koss to learn more about their efforts.

“We have a belief at Culver’s that we need to have a strong connection with the farming community. Over the past few year we have been able to strengthen our ties through our Thank You Farmers initiative and affiliation to the FFA. Now we are getting involved with more industry groups and that includes USFRA. We believe we need to continue to educate ourselves about farming and where our food comes from so we can better educate our guests,” said Koss.

He added that Culver’s wants to be transparent. That means being honest and sharing accurate, science-based information to consumers. Listen to our complete conversation with Koss here: Interview with Joseph Koss, Culver's CEO

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

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John DeereCommodity Classic coverage made possible by Farmers Edge
Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, USFRA

Live with Smart Nitrogen at #MSFGS17

Chuck Zimmerman

We’re hearing a lot about SMART Farming today so Smart Nitrogen makes a lot of sense don’t you think? That’s what ESN is all about – Smart Nitrogen. It is a urea granule comprised of 44% nitrogen, contained within a flexible polymer coating. This coating protects the nitrogen from loss mechanisms and releases nitrogen in response to soil temperature. ESN gives crops all the nitrogen they need, when they need it.

I sat down with Kelly Dupont, ESN, during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show to talk about how important this nitrogen product is to growers in the Delta Region. One big advantage ESN offers is the ability to put out nitrogen one time and not be completely dependent on the weather for the exact timing of the application. Learn more about ESN, Smart Nitrogen in our conversation.

Listen to my interview with Kelly here: Interview with Kelly Dupont, ESN

I also went live on Facebook with Kelly to give you a look at ESN on the show floor:


Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Farm Shows, Fertilizer, Video

Engaging Urban Youth in Ag

Lizzy Schultz

Engaging youth in agriculture is an important part of fueling the future of the industry, and a presentation surrounding this necessary, complex concept took the spotlight during the 2017 Bayer #AgVocacy Forum last week.

One of the presenters was Bev Flatt, a young farmer from Tennessee who seeks to share her passion and knowledge of farming with other young people.

Flatt only began farming two years ago, when she and her husband started Flatt Rock Farms. The couple raises beef cattle, meat and dairy goats, chickens, horses, and honeybees. She also supports the Metro Nashville Public High School System, where she works with four specific agricultural education programs. “We really have a great time together helping young urban students understand where their food comes from and how they can be involved in agriculture moving forward,” Flatt says.

Interview with Bev Flatt, Flatt Rock Farm Read More

Ag Groups, Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic

Farmers Edge Generates Major Buzz at #Classic17

Kelly Marshall

Farmers Edge had not one, but two major new product launches at Commodity Classic in San Antonio last week and their Vice President of Marketing, Marina Barnes was on hand to tell us about them both.

FarmCommand takes precision agriculture to decision agriculture, Barnes said, with it’s easy to use, all-in-one system. It eliminates the need for multiple passwords and unusable data. “Farmers don’t have time, they have to seed, they have to harvest, they don’t have time for that,” Barnes exclaims. “What we do is we make technology work and we make it so easy for them – that all they have to do is just open their Farm Command on a mobile device, on their tablet, on their laptop. It’s just so easy.”

Rest assured that data is safe with Farmers Edge. As an independent company they don’t sell inputs and they won’t compromise a farmer’s privacy. The information is there for farmers to make decisions and to make themselves profitable, says Barnes.

Corn Manager is the company’s other exciting release. It’s a break-through product, offering a three-in-one solution of zone-based nitrogen management, satellite imagery, and crop staging. The integrated, decision-support tool set can manage and maximize high-yield corn production,to help growers visualize overall crop health and variability.

If interest at Commodity Classic is any indication, these new products are set to make a real impact on the ag industry. Learn more in Cindy Zimmerman’s full interview with Marina Barnes here: Interview with Marina Barnes, Farmers Edge

2017 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John DeereCommodity Classic coverage made possible by Farmers Edge
Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Market Outlook from Farm and Gin Show

Kelly Marshall

Richard Brock of Brock Associates spoke to attendees of the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show about commodity prices and why they are shaping up in a way most didn’t expect.

“You’ve got two crops to harvest every year- one is the one you grow and one is the speculator. I think the speculator is going to allows us an opportunity to sell corn and beans, in fact they already are, at higher prices than they were two months ago,” Brock explains.

This year shows an increase in intent to plant cotton, making it not quite king, but doing very well, Brock says. Cotton costs slightly less per acre to plant than corn, but costs to get back into cotton will be a factor. Cotton pickers come more dear than combines and growers who got completely out of the game will have a hard time jumping back in.

Brock looks for this year to be one of change. While the conditions have many differences from the mid-80s, the transitions agriculture will go through will similarly provide growers an opportunity. It may be good, it may be bad, but it will be different Brock believes.

Listen to his full remarks to Chuck Zimmerman here: Interview with Richard Brock

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Markets

FMC Supports #MSFGS17 and Cotton Growers

Kelly Marshall

Mid-South Farm and Gin Show took place last week in Memphis, Tennessee and FMC is a big part of making that happen as a long-time sponsor. Chris Reat says the show is a lot of fun; a place where relationships are built and reconnected as members of the industry gather to learn about a commodity which plays a lesser part in many conferences– cotton.

Things are looking up for this southern favorite, Reat says, and for growers who may have had to move away from the crop in the past, the mood is brighter. Of course, most farmers want to know what the weather or the markets will bring this season, but FMC is ready to help with what they can: insecticides and fungicides they’ll need for a great year.

“Lots of positive conversations about the markets,” Reat comments. “They are what they are, but I still need to maximize my return on investment and maximize the production I’m getting on my individual acres, so it’s been very good.”

Listen to Chuck’s full interview with Reat here to learn more: Interview with Chris Reat, FMC

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, Audio, Cotton, Farm & Gin Show, FMC

Bayer #AgVocacy Forum Virtual Newsroom

Lizzy Schultz

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

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

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

Commodity Classic coverage made possible by
Commodity Classic coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John DeereCommodity Classic coverage made possible by Farmers Edge
Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, Grains, John Deere

#ICYMI: The #Classic17 Virtual Newsroom

Lizzy Schultz

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 coverage made possible by FMCCommodity Classic coverage made possible by John DeereCommodity Classic coverage made possible by Farmers Edge
Commodity Classic