Farm Bureau President Speaks at USDA Ag Outlook Forum

Jamie Johansen

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s public policy agenda shares much in common with the Trump administration on issues like regulatory reform and tax reform. But even harder issues such as farm labor and trade should present opportunities to engage with Congress and the White House, alike, AFBF President Zippy Duvall told participants at the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Duvall said America’s farmers and ranchers have to make their voices heard on “all of these issues.” And expressed optimism over President Trump’s nomination of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to lead the USDA.

“You couldn’t ask for a finer gentleman or a stronger champion for our farmers and ranchers,” Duvall said. “I believe he could be one of the all-time great Secretaries of Agriculture. And we need him confirmed so he can get to work.”

Listen to Duvall’s complete remarks where he addresses regulatory overreach, the tax code, immigration, trade and the 2018 farm bill: Zippy Duvall - American Farm Bureau Federation

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Ag Groups, Audio, Farm Policy, politics, Trade, USDA

Deere Debutes Sprayer Improvements at #NFMS17

Kelly Marshall

Attendees of the National Farm Machinery Show got the first view of John Deere‘s new CommandView III cab on their 4-Series Sprayers and the 4600 CommandCenter that comes with it. Customers are always looking for ways to be more efficient– to spend less time setting up and more time spraying, says Jason Beuligmann, which is why John Deere has made the cab more comfortable, the control easier to use, and the display multifunctional.

The updates make for a more comfortable environment for producers or service providers who spend 10 and 12 hour days in the cab. From the redesigned CommandARM that features a multi-function handle to the heated and ventilated leather seat, there are many ways for the user to customize the cab.

The latest version of sprayers also come with a carbon fiber boom. Carbon fiber allows for a wider boom because the material is lighter but stronger. It’s also erosion resistant and doesn’t fatigue like steel or other metals, Beuligmann says. Customers also like the look of the simpler design and less surface area means the product is easier to clean.

John Deere will begin taking orders in June of 2017. You can learn more about the updated sprayer at the upcoming Commodity Classic event next week, or follow us here on the Ag.Wired family of pages for news brought to you by John Deere.

Listen to Chuck’s full interview with Beuligmann here: Interview with Jason Beuligmann, John Deere

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Equipment, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show

Weather Outlook at #NFMS17

Cindy Zimmerman

Weather is always the main topic of discussion whenever farmers get together, so the weather outlook from Bryce Anderson, Senior Ag Meteorologist at DTN/The Progressive Farmer, is always a big draw at the National Farm Machinery Show.

Anderson says the outlook for the corn belt is good this year as the Pacific Ocean has moved from a weak La Nina weather pattern to more average temperatures, and may even warm up to a weak El Nino pattern during the heart of the growing season instead. “This is important because when El Nino is in effect during the growing season it is a benign player for our corn belt conditions,” Anderson says. “We have had some of our best yielding years when El Nino has been going on. So the message that I’m giving to growers here is that I think we are in line for at least trend-line yields again for the coming year.”

Growers face a lot of uncertainty, weather being only one, but this year scientists find themselves in a similar position, Anderson notes. The Trump administration’s positions on matters like climate change may affect programs like The National Weather Service, but there’s a chance current philosophies will be moderated by the time they make it into action. It’s a time to be alert, Anderson advises. This is a game of watching and waiting and monitoring.

To listen to Chuck’s full interview with Anderson, listen here: Interview with Bryce Anderson, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Farm Machinery, National Farm Machinery Show, Weather

Bayer Building on Feed a Bee Buzz

Cindy Zimmerman

The Feed a Bee program has planted more than 2 billion wildflowers with the help of 900,000 individuals and 117 partner organizations in the past three years, but Bayer says it’s not stopping there. The company recently requested proposals to establish pollinator forage in all 50 states by 2018, hoping to build upon their success and move the needle forward.

The Feed a Bee Steering Committee, made up of Feed a Bee partners and representatives from the Bayer Bee Care Program, will be contributing $500,000 for research and additional forage over the course of the next two years.

“We convened the steering committee to address an extreme need, now more than ever, to invest in forage and planting initiatives across the country,” said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager, North American Bee Health, Crop Science, a division of Bayer. “Today’s announcement represents a collaborative effort of some of the leading bee health stakeholders who are making it our mission to support the expansion of these programs and make sure organizations in every state in the U.S. have the opportunity to bring their pollinator initiatives to life.”

The committee is requesting forage initiative proposals that will promote pollinator health and help provide a tangible solution to the current lack of forage. Organizations including, but not limited to, nonprofits, growers (individual and trade groups), beekeepers (individual and associations), businesses, schools, clubs, gardening groups, government agencies, etc. are encouraged to submit a proposal.

Bayer, Bees, pollinators

#RebuildRural Encourages Trump to Prioritize Infrastructure

Kelly Marshall

Two hundred some #RebuildRural organizations representing U.S. agriculture, rural businesses, communities and families sent a letter to the President, asking him to make infrastructure in rural America a priority. The letter highlights the needs in rural communicates where a lack of population density creates challenges.

“American agriculture truly feeds the world and creates millions of jobs for U.S. workers. Our nation’s ability to produce food and fiber and transport it efficiently across the globe is a critical factor in U.S. competitiveness internationally. Infrastructure that supports rural communities and links them to global markets has helped make the U.S. the unquestioned leader in agricultural production. Our deteriorating infrastructure threatens that leadership position,” the letter states.

The letter also highlights the “critical needs” that “exist in providing clean water for rural families, expanding broadband to connect rural communities to the outside world, and enhancing the ability to supply affordable, reliable and secure power for the rural economy.”

Ag Groups, Infrastructure

FMC Promotes Cover Crops for Weed Control

Kelly Marshall

Growers will do about anything to control resistant palmer amaranth in the MidSouth region where Matt Wiggins works as a tech service manager for FMC. And while cover crops have been traditionally considered a method of erosion control, FMC has done a lot of work on understanding how they prevent weeds as well.

They’re effective because they create a layer of mulch, preventing weeds from coming through, Wiggins explains. Even though he still feels like there is a lot to learn, they do know a winter annual cover cop of cereal rye or winter wheat planted after harvest and terminated a few weeks before spring planting adds bio mass necessary to make a big difference handling those resistant weed problems. Cover crops also work together with an herbicide program, Wiggins says. Neither should be a stand-alone management.

As a bonus, cover crops are multifunctional on the farm.

“There are other benefits. The primary one we think about with cover crops is erosion prevention and soil health. Other things guys are not thinking so much about are things like weed control and also water conservation and nutrient reduction strategies and things like to that to help capture nutrients that we put in the soil and prevent them from getting into waterways. So there are a lot of other benefits other than just weed control that cover crops can benefit our growers.”

FMC has several solutions for growers wanting to take advantage of what cover crops can offer. Their Authority MTZ and Authority Elite offer a great pre-emergence burn down for starting the growing season off right, and they offer in-furrow protection products against the insects that seem to go hand-in-hand with cover crops.

Learn more about FMC and their cover crop approach by stopping by their booth at Commodity Classic or Mid-South Farm and Gin Show next week or listen to Chuck’s interview here: Interview with Matt Wiggins, FMC

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, cover crops, Crop Protection, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, weed management

Deere Showcases 5R Series Tractors at #NFMS17

Kelly Marshall

Chris Lammie is pretty excited about his job with John Deere small tractors– especially the brand new 5R Series being shown at the National Farm Machinery Show. The 5R series features incredible maneuverability with a 12.1 foot turning radius, a comfortable cab, brand new loader, improved visibility and a fully electronic clutch.

It also comes with a fantastic lighting package, combined with the panoramic cab roof and interactive display now on the righthand post that mean the user can see everywhere at a glance.

“And it’s incredibly comfortable” Lammie told Chuck Zimmerman at NFMS. “All day I’ve been watching people climb up in it. They sit down in the seat and you see them smile, and whoever they’re with they say ‘Oh yeah, this is good.'”

The 5R was also designed to go with the John Deere 540R Loader. The loader’s automatic mast latch, single-point hydraulic connection, remote implement latch and slide-slung self-leveling links provide an integrated loader experience for the 5R Tractor operator. Removal or installation of the loader can be accomplished with a single trip out of the cab, thanks to a latch system that automatically connects the loader once contact is made between the loader boom and mounting frames, simplifying the connection process.

Listen to Chuck’s full interview with Lammie here to learn about availability and other features of the 5R series:Interview with Chris Lammie, John Deere

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, Tractor

Ag Groups Support Farm Bill Funding

Kelly Marshall

The 2014 Farm Bill helped reduce the nation’s deficit with budget cuts, but further cutbacks in 2018 could cause a serious threat, says a letter from 502 agriculture groups, nutrition organizations, conservation departments and local governments.

The letter was spearheaded by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Bread for the World, Feeding America, the Food Research & Action Center, the National Association of Counties, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. It strongly urges Congress to reject additional cuts during this time of economic stress. It further reminds congressional leaders that the farm bill voluntarily reduced spending to the tune of $23 billion over ten years in the last go-round.

“We have all begun preparing for the 2018 Farm Bill and recognize that passing a bill with additional funding reductions would be extremely difficult, if not impossible,” the letter said. “Therefore, as the Senate and House Agriculture Committees begin preparing for the 2018 Farm Bill, it is imperative that the committees not be hamstrung by further budget or appropriations cuts to any farm bill program.”

Farm Bill

Farm and Rural Ag Network Launches Podcast

Kelly Marshall

Podcasts are becoming more and more the thing, especially for agriculture when they’re targeted, downloadable and mobile. That’s what lead to the creation of The Farm and Rural Ag Network, a home for ag related podcasts featuring Shark Farmer Podcast, Ontario AgCast, Future of Agriculture Podcast, Farmer & The City Girl Podcast, and Grow Smart with BASF, with more expected in the coming months.

Rob Sharkey, Illinois grower and host of the Shark Farmer Podcast, says “Podcast are gaining in popularity because of how specific they can appeal to an audience’s interest. With farmers being such a small part of the population, it’s not surprising that farmers and ranchers are turning to ag podcasts. It gives them a chance to find sources of information and entertainment with an ag twist.”

To learn more about The Farm and Rural Ag Network, visit www.farmruralag.com, like the Facebook page and follow along on Twitter. You can also visit the Network at booth #2318 at the 2017 Commodity Classic Show from March 2nd through March 4th.

Media, Podcasts

Media Scrum Sighted at #RFANEC

Cindy Zimmerman

I have to admit to never having heard the word “scrum” – meaning an impromptu press conference – until yesterday. According to Wikipedia, the word comes from a rugby term where players from both teams cluster around the ball competing for possession. “Analogously, in a media scrum reporters cluster around a public figure competing for his or her attention.”

So reporters covering the National Ethanol Conference in San Diego were clustered around Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen competing for his attention after his annual State of the Ethanol Industry address.

The first questions centered on the discussion Dinneen had on stage at the NEC with petroleum industry representatives and how the industries can work together. “I’ve been trying to move the dialogue to a different plane where we’re talking about the future growth and certainty for both our industries,” he said.

The media also wanted to know more about Dinneen’s thoughts on the Trump administration and the new reality in Washington, as well as the future for exports in the ethanol industry.

Listen to the scrum here: RFA CEO Bob Dinneen press questions

National Ethanol Conference photo album

Audio, Ethanol, Media, RFA