CFI Provides Insights for Food & Ag to Earn Trust

Kelly Marshall

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) conducts an annual consumer study to better understand how to earn consumer trust. Their latest research approach has identified influential consumer groups and made an effort to understand how they not only dictate food trends, but drive conversations that impact the decisions of others.

In a first-of-its-kind method, the 2016 survey used digital ethnography that can provide insights like unspoken motivations, values, top-of-mind issues, emotional triggers, preferred social channels and sources, behaviors and trusted brands. This kind of research provides a greater understanding of how to connect to consumers because the information provided goes beyond what people say and pinpoints what they actually do.Read More

Uncategorized

Trump Team Announces Bayer Merger Promises

Cindy Zimmerman

President-elect Trump’s transition team updated reporters yesterday on the outcome of meetings last week regarding Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto.

Trump press secretary Sean Spicer says the president-elect received commitments from Bayer CEO Werner Baumann that they would keep Monsanto in St. Louis and “retain 100 percent of Monsanto’s 9,000-plus U.S. workforce and create at least 3,000 new U.S. high-tech jobs.” Additionally, Spicer said Bayer committed to $8 billion in new U.S. research and development. “The reason for this commitment and expansion is because of the president-elect’s focus on creating better business climate here in the United States, which is already increased consumer and small business confidence since the election,” said Spicer.

A joint statement from Monsanto and Bayer said Baumann and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant had “a very productive meeting” last week with Trump, and that they would be investing $16 billion in R&D over the next six years, with “at least half” of that being in the United States – “an investment in innovation and people that will create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs after integration is complete.”

Agribusiness, Bayer

12 Years of Blogging for Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

AgWired is on location this week in San Diego for the 14th National Biodiesel Conference, which marks our 12th year blogging for the biodiesel industry.

The Biodiesel Conference Blog is a perfect example of what we do best as a company – gathering photos and audio from an event and making it available online quickly for anyone who might want to use it – attendees, sponsors, media, or just your average Google searcher.

The very first biodiesel conference we attended was also in San Diego back in 2006 and it’s really interesting to go back and look through the years – which you can do on the blog because everything is archived there. And there is some great content, like photos and interviews with celebrities like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Daryl Hannah and Larry Hagman, Chuck Leavell and Melissa Etheridge.

Thanks to the National Biodiesel Board for allowing us to bring their conference to you once again this year and you are encouraged to use any content in broadcasts, articles, blogs, Facebook posts, tweets..wherever content is needed!

Here’s a sample:

New NBB CEO and Chairman Kick Off #NBB17 –
Rehagen and Engelbrecht, general session NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen meets the press

GM Announces 20 for B20 in Diesel Vehicle Lineup – GM announcement at #NBB17

2017 National Biodiesel Conference photo album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, National Biodiesel Conference

Vilsack’s New Job is Official

Cindy Zimmerman

With the inauguration of President Trump just days away, the Cabinet position of Agriculture Secretary remains vacant but former Secretary Tom Vilsack has already moved on and will be taking a new job as president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council on February 1.

“Growing the global market for U.S. dairy products is essential to the future of the dairy industry and America’s dairy farmers. I’ve spent my career in public service as a tireless advocate for farmers and American agriculture and can think of no better way to continue this service than by leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council,” said Vilsack. “I look forward to partnering with the dynamic team at USDEC as well as agriculture, food industry and key stakeholders at home and abroad to advance the council’s mission and strengthen trust in American dairy.”

As president and CEO, Vilsack will provide strategic leadership and oversight of USDEC’s global promotional and research activities, regulatory affairs and trade policy initiatives. This includes working with industry leaders to develop a long-term vision for building sales and consumer trust in U.S. dairy. Together with the USDEC board, he will create strategies to successfully achieve the shared vision. He will serve as the organization’s primary spokesperson and ambassador to a host of global and domestic stakeholders.

Vilsack succeeds Tom Suber, who served as president of USDEC since its founding in 1995, and retired at the end of 2016. USDEC is a non-profit, independent organization that seeks to enhance the global demand for U.S. dairy products and ingredients.

Agribusiness, Dairy

CNH Industrial Names Danford to New Position

Cindy Zimmerman

CNH Industrial has named Dan Danford to the new position of Industry Relations Manager, Precision Solutions and Telematics (PS&T). CNH Industrial is the parent company of Case IH and New Holland Agriculture and Construction brands.

Danford will represent the interests and global strategic direction of CNH Industrial with key precision-facing organizations and partners, with an emphasis in North America and South America.

“Dan’s experience and connections throughout the industry will help us be a stronger voice in, and a more agile contributor to the precision industry,” said Joe Michaels, Director of Global Precision Product Management with CNH Industrial. “Greater agility means we can deliver ever more integrated data solutions to our customers in a shorter time frame.”

Danford joined CNH Industrial in 2012 as Public Relations and Sponsorship Manager for Case IH Agriculture in North America and has been involved in agribusiness marketing and communications for over 20 years.

Agribusiness, Marketing

New Offerings for Specialty Crops from John Deere

Kelly Marshall

John Deere has something new up its sleeve again. Carl Weidemeier attended the Potato Expo in San Fransisco to show growers the latest offering for specialty crops.

Beginning in the spring of 2017 growers will be able to connect their third party yield monitors to the My John Deere platform. A harness converts the message from the third party monitor and converts it to talk to the John Deere system, allowing information to be documented on maps and uploaded to the cloud.

“Now they can login to one account and look at everything. A lot of these guys rotate through crops, so all their fields, including potatoes, can be in My John Deere, which is big for them.”

Specialty crop growers will be able to use this technology for harvest this year by stopping into their local John Deere dealership. The process of installing the harness insn’t complicated or labor intensive, but it can take a little planning to find the right connections for the specific monitor, Weidemeier explains, so a dealer can handle that.

Check out the full interview here:Interview with Carl Weidemeier, John Deere

2017 Potato Expo photos

Coverage of the Potato Expo is sponsored by Coverage of Potato Expo is sponsored by Nufarm
Audio, John Deere, Potato

Nufarm Seeing Results in Citrus Greening

Kelly Marshall

The Potato Expo in San Fansisco earlier this month gave Chuck Zimmerman a chance to talk to Nufarm Manager of Tech Services, Alan Haack about an issue affecting the home state of AgWired’s world headquarters. Citrus greening has devastated the citrus industry of Florida, affecting half of the state’s fruit production. Last year the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture declared a crisis and allowed the use of several products, including Nufarm’s Oxytetracycline Calcium Complex– Mycoshield. Now just shy of one year of use, Chuck was able to get the latest on efforts to curb the disease.

There hasn’t been a cure for the disease, which Haack likens to cancer. It can be in a tree for 3 to 5 years, maybe even just a branch, and not show signs, all the while spreading the bacterium. “Now with this product they’re seeing very positive results in extending the production of the current trees,” he tells Chuck.

That’s a huge step, considering trees can take 5 or 6 years to get back into production. Maintaining those trees instead of loosing them has great benefits to growers. Mycoshield could also have great benefits to the citrus industries in other states as well. Currently Nufarm is working with the state of Texas, which as seen a small outbreak of the disease, and California to prevent problems before they start.

To hear the latest for yourself, listen to the full interview here: Interview with Alan Haack, Nufarm

2017 Potato Expo photos

Coverage of the Potato Expo is sponsored by Coverage of Potato Expo is sponsored by Nufarm
Audio, Citrus, Nufarm

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • The early bird deadline to register for the IFAJ International Congress in South Africa is coming up! Register by January 17, 2017 to receive the early bird rate and save!
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced the allocation of $540,000 in available funding for State and regional projects that will work to provide education, assistive technology and other support to current and prospective farmers and ranchers with disabilities.
  • Red Barn Media Group recently added Marilyn Cummins to its full-time staff as Associate Editor. Cummins offers more than 30 years of experience in 3publishing and marketing communications and the ability to provide top-notch editorial content across all platforms.
  • The Farm Credit Council (FCC) has announced a new Washington, D.C.-based communications team, including the hires of John Pulley as Vice President of Strategic Communications, Mark Hayes as Director of Media Relations and China Riddle as Digital Communications Manager.
Zimfo Bytes

Buds and Pods Part One

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello. @AgriBlogger here with an AgNerd review series. It’s is in two parts. This one focuses on the Etymōtic HD Safety Earphones, specifically the HD5 model. Part two will focus on the new Apple AirPods.

My trip to Potato Expo last week was a test run to switch between the Etymōtic HD5 earphones and AirPods. Etymōtic sent me the HD5 model for the test. It is one of the products they make specifically for hearing safety. I know how loud environments can be for farmers and these products do a very good job of cutting down on noise while allowing you to listen to farm podcasts or music from your phone.

Etymotic manufactures three hearing safety products for the farming community:

  • HD•Safety™ earplugs
  • HD•Safety™ Earplugs + Earphones
  • HD•15® Electronic Earplugs

Etymotic’s safety line of earplugs and earphones reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. Used for years by musicians and others exposed to high sound levels, these products are now being highlighted as essential equipment for farmers.

The company claims that these earplugs protect from loud sounds while still allowing safe sounds to pass through. They also claim they feel like there is nothing in the ears. So, let’s start there. I used the foam plugs which inserted very easily and were very comfortable. The fit securely and the kit comes with different sizes and type of plugs.

I wore these on the plane which I figured would be a good test for them. It is amazing how well they filter out sound without expensive sound cancelling technology. Even after wearing them for hours my ears were not at all “weary” of the wear. For you farm podcasters out there, consider a small set of earphones like these for a noisy media room!
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Gadgets

Senate Resolution Against WOTUS Introduced

Kelly Marshall

U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) have introduced a resolution to vacate the “Waters of the United States” rule– a resolution that signifies their intent to roll back the rule once President-elect Trump takes office. The resolution makes clear that the Clean Water Act (CWA) is vital to protecting American resources, but WOTUS takes it too far.

“We all want clean air and clean water, but the federal overreach we saw with the WOTUS rule was completely unprecedented,” said Senator Fischer. “This rule would hurt all Nebraskans: families, communities, ag producers, and businesses. This resolution signifies our intent to quickly get to work to stop WOTUS in its tracks once the new administration takes office.”

“I’ve heard from farmers, manufacturers, and small business owners across the state of Iowa about the confusion and burdensome red-tape the expanded WOTUS rule creates, and the urgency for it to be scrapped immediately,” said Senator Ernst. “That’s why I led an effort in 2015 to disapprove this rule. It is imperative we relieve hard-working Americans from this power grab, and allow Iowans to care for their land without the heavy hand of the EPA determining their every move. Today’s action reaffirms that Iowans’ voice will be heard in Washington and stresses the need to protect our rural communities from this federal overreach.”

Water