Peyton & Archie Manning to Keynote AFBF Convention

Lizzy Schultz November 7, 2016

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has announced that Peyton and Archie Manning will serve as keynote speakers during the AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show, to be held January 6-11, 2017 in Pheonix, Arizona. In their keynote, the Mannings will share about teamwork, leadership, motivation and their keys to success on and off the field.

From the football field to the corn field, both Farm Bureau members and the Mannings have a long-standing history of keeping their game faces on while providing the world food, fiber, energy … and football, and they both know a thing or two about working the family business.

Peyton, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, embodies what it means to be a professional athlete in this day and age, including his efforts to champion numerous charitable organizations and foundations to further his positive impact on the community, including the PeyBack Foundation, which he founded in an effort to help underprivileged youth in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Archie, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, enjoyed an impressive college football career at the University of Mississippi that included leading his team to the national championship game, finishing top-four in Heisman Trophy voting twice and twice being named to the All-SEC team. He was drafted with the second overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft and continued his illustrious football career with the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings. In everything he does, Archie remains grounded and true to his “hard work means everything” mentality.

Don’t be a bench warmer. Register for the AFBF Annual Conference here.

AFBF, Events

AgCompass Points to Improved Efficiency

Cindy Zimmerman November 7, 2016

With commodity prices falling, already tight operating margins may become even tighter, increasing the need for farm partners to keep an eye on their operating expenses. One solution that many producers have turned to is remote hosting of their software so all the farm partners can be on the same page when making critical business decisions. AgCompass provides reliable U.S.-based software hosting to producers and CPA firms.

“With AgCompass, farm managers and consultants can look at farm data together in real time, securely from anywhere, allowing them to make informed and timely decisions that have a positive impact on the bottom line” said Nick Chambers, AgCompass business development manager. “AgCompass has been hosting software for agribusiness and CPA firms since 2003. Our solution provides the flexibility and collaboration that improves a farm’s efficiency, while producers maintain control and data independence.”

Chambers says AgCompass grew out of the ag industry and they work closely with farmers. “We offer a solution that is practical, affordable and free tech support. We are a good alternative to running software on a local PC which has quite a few risks to it. Hosting your software in the cloud gives you more flexibility in terms of access, the data is packed up every night and we provide software updates for our customers. We take the IT hassle out of the hands of the producer.”

The value of shared data is especially apparent as tax season approaches. AgCompass is used by CPA firms to help them collaborate more efficiently with their clients, to save on travel expenses, to reduce IT costs, and to focus on providing higher-value services.

Learn more about AgCompass in this interview: Interview with Nick Chambers, AgCompass

Dedicated to helping grow small businesses, AgCompass recently launched a new website at agcompass.com and a video. AgCompass also has a subscription newsletter and a blog with monthly posts from Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer. To schedule a free consultation and demonstration call 844-4-AGCLOUD.

Agribusiness, Audio, Markets, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Alaska FFA Wins 2016 Hunger Heroes Challenge

Lizzy Schultz November 7, 2016

The Alaska FFA Association was recently named the winner of the 2016 Hunger Heroes Challenge, a program that encouraged students to help donate 3.5 million meals to local communities before the 2016 National FFA Convention & Expo in October.

After each hunger service event performed as part of the challenge, chapters reported impacts and shared their stories in order to be eligible for a cash drawing. This year’s reported impact was a record-high: 3.8 million meals were donated and more than 37,000 volunteers recording 191,322 hours of service to fight hunger.

The state of Alaska had the highest percentage of chapters that reported impacts this year, with more than 150 members in all middle and high school chapters volunteering 33,919 hours to donate more than 35,000 meals and over 37,000 pounds of food. As a result, Tyson Foods, Inc. will provide a donation to a state-wide Feeding America Food Bank in Alaska.

Other chapters participating in activities across the country included Frazee FFA from Minnesota, which held a competition to see which school grades could donate the most food. Frappe’s efforts resulting in 1,057 meals. Cuba Rushford FFA in New York planted a conventional garden with fourth-grade students, resulting in more than 2,116 meals, and Heritage FFA in Tennessee collected change and donations during the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving in 2015. They were able to purchase six complete Thanksgiving dinners from the local grocery store and gave them to local families in need.

“The Hunger Heroes Challenge was a great way to inspire members to take action against food insecurity. We are very excited to recognize the Alaska FFA State Association and all of their chapters for their great efforts,” Michele Sullivan, the Living to Serve senior team leader, said. “Moving forward, in an effort to continue our support of the FFA vision of building communities, the Living to Serve team is launching a new series of grant opportunities beginning with the 2017-18 school year. The grant funding will support more diverse service focus areas that include community safety; environmental responsibility; hunger, health and nutrition; and community engagement. To capture the stories and impacts of all chapters that are living to serve, we will also be launching a new challenge for our members that has a broader focus.”

Ag Groups, FFA, Food

AgWired – A Top Ten Ag Blog

Chuck Zimmerman November 7, 2016

AgWired is a top ten out of the top 50 ag blogs according to a new Feedspot ranking of The Best Agriculture Blogs on the Planet.

Passionate about the industry that feeds the world? Or curious to know where your food comes from, what is in it, and who produces it? Agriculture blogs provide useful information and insightful commentary on agricultural issues and topics thus closing the gap between consumers and their food sources. We have compiled a list of the best agriculture blogs which convey the story of food production around the globe. Whether you are a farmer, employed in the agriculture industry, or government these resources have content that is applicable to you and your business.

These blogs are ranked based on following criteria:

Google reputation and Google search ranking
Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites
Quality and consistency of posts
Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review

The ZimmComm Team hopes you enjoy AgWired. We’re dedicated to bringing you what’s new in the world of agribusiness.

Uncategorized

BASF & FMC Bring Next Gen Crop Care to Corn Furrow

Jamie Johansen November 7, 2016

BASF and FMC Corporation announced an agreement that brings novel in-furrow crop protection products to the U.S. corn market. The companies will integrate their market-leading insect and disease protection technologies into new products formulated with the convenient LFR® patented technology from FMC.

BASF and FMC will deliver unprecedented in-furrow insect and disease protection. These new products include market-leading active ingredients, the same technology found in Headline® fungicide and in FMC proprietary LFR formulations in Capture® LFR® Insecticide. The unique LFR technology is unmatched in its ability to mix readily with liquid fertilizers, provide consistent active ingredient distribution, and stay in suspension for uniform application from the first acre to the last.

“The LFR technology brings greater convenience, simplicity and dependability to our customers,” said Scott Stout, Corn Fungicide Products Manager, BASF. “FMC is a recognized liquid in-furrow leader, and our customers will benefit from our leading disease control and plant health fungicide with the best below-ground insect control and in-furrow insecticide formulation technology available.”

“The collaboration combines the core competencies of two market leaders. FMC is an in-furrow formulations technology leader and BASF is a fungicide active ingredient leader,” said Rick Ekins, fungicide and insecticide portfolio manager for FMC. “This alliance allows both companies to help our customers take yields and profits to the next level. In-furrow protection has never been so convenient or powerful.”

Each company will offer new products as a result of the agreement. For 2017, BASF will launch Manticor™ LFR® In-Furrow Fungicide/Insecticide. FMC will launch Temitry™ LFR® Insecticide/Fungicide. EPA registration has been granted for both products.

According to Stout and Ekins, BASF and FMC are developing new solutions that will sustainably feed a growing world population.

“As an industry, we need new tools to push yield potential higher without using more of our natural resources,” said Stout. “These kinds of collaborations help us reach that goal.”

Agribusiness, Agronomy, BASF, Corn, Crop Protection, FMC, Insecticides

New Award Celebrates Next Gen of NAMA

Jamie Johansen November 4, 2016

Do you know someone with a bright future in the agricultural marketing industry? If so, it’s time to shine the spot light on them. To thrive in the future, the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) community needs to develop and support the next generation of members.

Nominate a young professional in your company for the Next Gen NAMA Award who has impressed you with their knowledge of hot trends or one who has always gone above and beyond. Bright young professionals are the lifeblood of the industry and it’s time to honor them with a special award.

NAMA will select up to five such individuals. Winners receive complimentary registration to the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 26-28, where awards will be presented at one of the opening sessions. The group will meet with the NAMA Executive Committee at their April meeting.

Ag Groups, Marketing, NAMA

Bayer Celebrates Fall with Bee Care

Kelly Marshall November 4, 2016

Fall is a time of pumpkin pie and hot apple cider, but neither of these would be possible without the hard work of pollinators. To honor the efforts of these busy creatures, Bayer is celebrating fall with their Feed a Bee program and the planting of wildflowers and dedicated forage areas.

Feed a Bee is on a mission to create pollinator forage across the U.S. Currently they’re making their way to four locations: Lubbock, Texas; Scott City, Kansas; Flanagan, Illinois and Fort Pierce, Florida, over the course of six weeks to plant 50 million wildflower seeds. Locations were chosen because of the resources of an important partner in this project, The Wildlife Society (TWS).

TWS Business Solutions and Development Manager Chuck Shively says they are a science-based organization looking to aide pollinators. “When the work of Bayer Bee Care came to our attention – the work that they’ve been doing for many, many years; the research in trying to maintain and bring back a thriving population of pollinators – we started having conversations about what they were doing and how we might spread the word through our membership and our social media followers across North America,” said Shively.

So far Bayer’s Feed a Bee program has wildly exceeded expectations, according to Dr. Becky Langer, project manager for the North American Bayer Bee Care Program. “The goal of 25 million has been exceeded and we’re actually planting 50 million this fall with the help of many people across the nation and a big part of that is The Wildlife Society and the conjunction of their local chapters and driving that social media attention,” Langer says. “It’s been an outstanding response and we’re going to blow that original goal out of the water.”

Festivities began at Texas Tech University, where the Department of Plant and Soil Science hosted an educational pollinator field day. Attendees helped to begin a new forage area at Quaker Avenue Research Farm. November and December will see plantings in the remaining three locations, held in conjunction with other partner organizations and communities.

“Every additional bit of forage planted helps pollinators, whether it’s next to a community garden, alongside cropland or in a homeowner’s backyard,” Langer says. “We’re proud to work with TWS and our other fantastic Feed a Bee partners this fall for the first annual forage planting tour. By planting these wildflower seeds, we’re helping to sow a healthier spring for honey bees and other pollinators.”

Learn more about the pollinator program here: Interview with Becky Langer & Chuck Shively

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Bees, pollinators

Dreaming Up Solutions At Develop with Deere

Kelly Marshall November 4, 2016

Joshua Carson has a very unique job. He is an API Evangelist for John Deere- a new job position he says is about making a software developer’s life easier. It’s his responsibility to take the ideas of a developer and show them how to work with John Deere’s API in the Operations Center to make sure that idea is available to farmers.

“If they express interest in John Deere, […] I help on the technical, I dream up solutions, I help you know if something is practical and real,” Carson told Chuck Zimmerman at the Develop with Deere conference in Kansas City.

And most ideas are real. Some need a reality check, but mostly developers just need to know how to make them work. Most often heard misconceptions about John Deere’s program hinge in grower data, Caron says. Companies think the data is available to them as a third-party developer, but data belongs to the grower at John Deere, and the grower decides who sees it.

Another challenge for his job can be helping people see the value in having a platform. Farm equipment is direct and obvious, but platforms can be a bit more hazy if they don’t directly affect yield or control price. But a platform can bring a lot of value to a farm and people are beginning to really understand that, as is evident by the excitement around this year’s conference.

“There are a lot of solutions we can be delivering to market,” Carson says. Its about finding the right people and putting together the right skills. And that’s what Develop with Deere is all about.

Listen to all Carson had to say here: Interview with Joshua Carson, John Deere

Develop with Deere Photo Album

John Deere, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Calgary Welcomes @AgriTrend 2016 Farm Forum Event

Cindy Zimmerman November 3, 2016

The AGRI-TREND® 2016 FARM FORUM EVENT is coming up next month in Calgary, Alberta with the theme LEARN & GROW.

The event, which will be held December 6-8 at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, brings over 1000 attendees together to see the latest innovations, learn from top experts from the world’s leading agricultural companies, and share information among the largest growers from Canada and the United States.

The event was conceived by AGRI-TREND and began in Saskatoon, SK in 1998. The company provides professional advisory services to growers through the AGRI-TREND Network of over 200 experts known as Coaches. These AGRI-TREND Coaches™ work with growers to help them make agronomic and marketing decisions throughout the year. As the business grew, so did the FARM FORUM EVENT. “This annual gathering is now a major event where farmers learn new things and grow their knowledge,” says Neil Yelland, Director of Advisory Services, AGRI-TREND.

He explains how the new location expands the potential for the event. “We now have room to grow. We’ll be able to improve the experience for everyone, as the convention center downtown provides more space and the connected hotels let all enjoy the event without worry about going out in the weather” says Yelland. He also shares that the event has been upgraded with entertainment planned nightly including farmer/country singer Drew Gregory opening for The Washboard Union.

Early bird registration is available online until November 4, and a limited number of sponsorships remain available for the event.

Events, Farm Shows

BASF Offers Zidua® PRO for Soybean Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman November 3, 2016

Soybean growers now have a new tool to control weeds in 2017.

BASF’s Zidua® PRO (Premium Residual Option) herbicide is a new broad-spectrum product with powerful burndown and residual control that helps growers address the issue of weed resistance. After receiving U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration earlier this year, Zidua PRO herbicide is now in market and available for purchase.

“Zidua PRO herbicide combines three sites of action for consistent control of tough weeds with built-in resistance management,” said Daniel Waldstein, Technical Marketing Manager, BASF. “As a contact burndown and residual pre-emergent, Zidua PRO herbicide helps growers keep fields clean from contact to canopy.”

Zidua PRO herbicide helps provide residual control up to 14 days longer than competitive group 15 herbicides when applied at full rate. Longer residual control means more time to make post-emergent applications, helping growers spray when weeds are less than four inches tall.

Zidua PRO herbicide enters the market during a critical time for soybean growers. With site of action resistance on the rise, a comprehensive approach to weed management offers the best solution to the agriculture community. Zidua PRO herbicide pairs with post-emergent herbicides, containing additional sites of action to effectively control otherwise detrimental weeds and protect against resistance. Currently pending U.S. EPA registration, BASF’s Engenia™ herbicide is a complementary innovation — and the most flexible and advanced formulation of dicamba from BASF for use in dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton.

Learn more about Zidua PRO from BASF.

BASF, Crop Protection, Herbicide

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