Five Years of #Propane Farm Incentive Program

Cindy Zimmerman September 13, 2016

After five years of applied research through the Propane Farm Incentive Program, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has some good data to back up the benefits for farmers switching to propane equipment in higher performance, improved efficiency, and significant cost savings. Over 400 producers from 32 states have participated in PERC’s incentive program over the last five years.

Since 2011, the Propane Farm Incentive has offered program participants a financial incentive in exchange for real-world performance data and experience testing the performance of new propane equipment, including irrigation engines, grain dryers, flame weed control systems, premium generators, and agricultural heating systems.

“Over the years, the Propane Farm Incentive Program has become an extremely valuable asset for evaluating the productivity and efficiency of new propane equipment,” said Cinch Munson, PERC’s director of agriculture business development. “There’s no substitution to the value of real-world data from farmers using the equipment firsthand to power their own farms. In today’s farm economy, propane-powered equipment has proven to be a good option for producers who are looking to improve their bottom line by using top quality equipment that saves them money.”

Munson was at the recent Farm Progress show checking out the propane-powered equipment on hand and he stopped by for an interview about the incentive program and what’s new in propane. Interview with Cinch Munson, PERC

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

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Audio, Equipment, Farm Progress Show, PERC, Propane

Raven Sidekick Pro™ Tests With Engenia™

Cindy Zimmerman September 13, 2016

When Engenia™ herbicide receives regulatory approval, it is expected to have one of the most detailed labels ever for the application of a crop protection product and BASF has done extensive testing to determine the best methods of application.

One product that has received the seal of approval is Raven’s Sidekick Pro™ direct injection system and company representative Denton Schwiesow was on hand at the Farm Progress Show to talk about it. “We have been through the process of testing compatibility with the Engenia product with the pump itself,” he said. “There’s no issues there and we’re ready to go when the market’s ready to go.”

Schwiesow says that Sidekick direct injection has been out for a long time but it offers new benefits for farmers in light of increased label requirements, such as an automatic rinse system. “You can simply turn off your injection pump and you only have to worry about cleaning out your wet boom,” he explained. “That’s going to save operators a lot of time.”

Learn more in Chuck’s interview: Interview with Denton Schwiesow, Raven

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, BASF, Crop Protection, Equipment, Farm Progress Show

Some Changes in USDA Crop Forecast

Cindy Zimmerman September 12, 2016

The September crop forecast out today from USDA decreases the corn crop a bit, but increases both soybeans and cotton.

Corn production is now forecast at 15.1 billion bushels, down less than one percent from the August forecast, but still 11 percent more than last year and still expected to be a record. “Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 174.4 bushels per acre, down 0.7 bushel from the August forecast but up 6 bushels from 2015. If realized, this will be the highest yield and production on record for the United States.”

Soybean production is forecast at a record 4.20 billion bushels, up 3 percent from August and up 7 percent from last year. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average a record 50.6 bushels per acre, up 1.7 bushels from last month and up 2.6 bushels from last year. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at a record 83.0 million acres, unchanged from August but up 1 percent from 2015.

All cotton production is forecast at 16.1 million 480-pound bales, up 2 percent from August and up 25 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 802 pounds per harvested acre, up 36 pounds from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 15.6 million 480-pound bales, up 25 percent from 2015. Pima cotton production is forecast at 562,000 bales, up 30 percent from last year.

The MGEX crop call on today’s reports featured commentary from Randy Martinson of Agvice: 9-12-16 MGEX Crop Call

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA, Wheat

GROWMARK Sustainability Efforts Focus on Farmer

Lizzy Schultz September 12, 2016

GROWMARK’s commitment to sustainability was made evident during the 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium, and Mark Orr, GROWMARK’s Vice President of Agronomy, sat down with AgWired during this year’s event to discuss the ways that the company is working directly with farmers to implement sustainable practices that will improve the long term profitability and success of their farms.

“We really want to focus on profitability at the farm gate. We believe sustainability in the long term has to be profitable for the farmer, and with that being said, we are focusing not only on the agronomic piece of sustainability but the social piece of it, which is also key to remaining sustainable in the long haul,” said Orr.

Orr explained that one of the major sustainability initiatives GROWMARK has brought forward this year is the 4R Sustainability Advocate Program.

“We really want to recognize the crop specialists that are working with the producer on the 4R stewardship practices that are in place throughout their territory,” he said.

GROWMARK is also putting major effort into working with their member farmers on updating some best management practices, especially related to nitrogen management, that will improve the long-term, profitable sustainability on their operations.

Learn more in Lizzy’s full interview with Mark here:
Interview with Mark Orr, GROWMARK

Jack McCormick, one of GROWMARK’s Board Members and a corn, wheat, and soybean grower from southern Illinois, is one of GROWMARK’s farmer-owners that has been prioritizing sustainable practices for years. McCormick’s operation utilizes a comprehensive nutrient management system, and the family has been practicing no-till planting since 1970.

“Like anything, you start with the practices, you refine it, and you start doing practices that make sense for the environment and for your operation,” said McCormick in an interview during the Annual Meeting. “The practices that we think make a difference to the public have to do with keeping our water as clean as we can and using practices to keep crop protection products on the field as long as we can. I would like to see everybody embrace as many practices as they can.”

Listen to all of Jack’s thoughts on sustainability in his full interview here:
Interview with Jack McCormick, GROWMARK

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, GROWMARK, Sustainability

Putting a Face on the American Soybean Farmer

Jamie Johansen September 12, 2016

Missouri soybean grower, Todd Gibson, has worn many leadership hats throughout the soy community at the state and national levels. His farm is located just east of Kansas City in the heart of Midwestern crop country. He was just elected to the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) board and shared more about his commitment to the industry during the 2016 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange.

“USSEC gives us an opportunity to see where our crop goes. A lot of people don’t realize what happens to their soybeans after they take it to the elevator. It gives us an opportunity to visit with dignitaries from other countries, formulate a market plan and make connections because over half of our commodity goes overseas.”

Importers of soy products have options, so what makes them select U.S. soy? Todd said U.S. soybeans are consistent, the quality is good. “Our soybeans are safe. Our GM products are safe. We are going to keep growing it.”

During his time on the United Soybean Board (USB) Todd said he was able to travel overseas and build connections. It was his first trip to the Trade Exchange and was excited to see many familiar faces because of those trade missions. Our U.S. soybean buyers had yet another opportunity to put a face to the American soybean farmer. Listen to my complete interview with Todd here: Interview with Todd Gibson, MO Soybean Farmer

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 US Soy Global Trade Exchange Photos

Ag Groups, Audio, Exports, Markets, Soybean, Trade, USSEC

Court Rules EPA Violated Farmer Privacy

Cindy Zimmerman September 12, 2016

The Environmental Protection Agency has violated the personal privacy of tens of thousands of farmers and ranchers, according to a unanimous ruling issued Friday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in a lawsuit brought by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) over EPA’s release to environmental groups of personal information on tens of thousands of farmers.

“This was an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy by a federal agency in violation of law,” said AFBF General Counsel Ellen Steen. “The court’s decision is a vindication of the right of farm families to control their own personal information. Farmers and ranchers have a strong privacy interest in their personal information, including their home address, even when they live and work on the farm.”

Late last year, a U.S. district court dismissed the lawsuit for lack of standing. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in St. Louis ruled that “the associations have established a concrete and particularized injury in fact traceable to the EPA’s action and redressable by judicial relief.”

“EPA’s release of sensitive, private and personal materials on more than 100,000 farmers and ranchers was an outrageous abuse of its power and trust,” said NPPC President John Weber, a pork producer from Dysart, Iowa. “We are very pleased with the Court of Appeals’ decision to reinstate our lawsuit to prevent the EPA from doing this again.”

The case stems from the February 2013 release by EPA’s Office of Water to several activist groups, which filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, of extensive private and personal information the agency had collected on farmers in 29 states.

AFBF, EPA, NPPC

Aquaculture Explodes & #USSoy Meets Nutrient Demand

Jamie Johansen September 12, 2016

I sat down with Sebastian Bell, Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, during the 2016 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, to talk about the role soy protein is playing in the formulation of aquatic feeds as the industry of aquaculture continues to explode globally as an agricultural production system.

“Aquaculture is the largest growing food production activity in the world, and a large part of that is because traditionally we have gotten a lot of our seafood from wild fisheries that have become increasingly exploited,” said Bell during the interview. “As the global demand for seafood has risen, it has been increasingly satisfied by farmed products.”

In the development and formulation of feeds for the aquatic animals that are new to domestication, soy has been an important nutritional component for producers and nutritionists. Several challenges face the industry as it continues to track through the learning curve of increasing the production and domestication of fish and aquatic species.

“Our use of soy has increased dramatically over the last ten years, and it’s been a great ingredient to use in feed. We’re still learning as we go, we’re working with animals that are not fully domesticated yet and so we still have things to learn as far as their nutritional needs go, but its very clear to us that soy has already played an important role in the formulation of aquatic feeds and probably will continue to do so,” said Bell.

Learn more in my complete interview with Sebastian here:
Interview with Sebastian Bell, Maine Aquaculture Assoc.

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 US Soy Global Trade Exchange Photos

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Aquaculture, Audio, Food, Soybean, USSEC

New Holland’s Big #Biomass Baler

Joanna Schroeder September 12, 2016

Several years ago the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the Billion Ton biomass report and recently made an updated version available. The study shows that there is more than 1 billion tons of biomass available to be used for bio-products including biofuels. For many years, New Holland has been committed to growers who harvest biomass and when the biofuel industry was getting ready to make the move to cellulosic ethanol, New Holland was ready to go with their biomass baler equipment including the BigBaler. To learn more about the company’s technological evolution in the biomass space, I spoke with Jarrod Angstadt during the 2016 Farm Progress Show.

Angstadt said New Holland has been a leader in hay harvesting technology for many, many years. But 10 years ago they launched a Clean Energy Leader initiative and their equipment has evolved to meet the needs of growers as the market changes. “It’s really exciting because there are a lot of opportunities out there and where this is going to go exactly is still the unknown and it’s really, really exciting for us,” says Angstadt.

I asked Angstadt how the feedback has been from growers who are using the BigBaler to harvest corn stover and he says the feedback has been very positive. He adds, though, that baling a crop like corn stover is harder to bale than say a crop like alfalfa or hay. So New Holland “beefed up” the equipment specifically for hardier crops and the results have been great. The BigBaler is working well in the fields. And with some additional add-ons, the BigBaler can be used for crops like miscanthus and corn stover and still harvest forage crops.

Yet creating high-performance, long-lasting ag equipment is not only what New Holland is doing for the biofuels industry. They are the first and only company to come on board with Growth Energy to support American Ethanol. Angstadt adds, “We’re really proud of it. Going back to the clean energy leader strategy and our brand position and who we want to be, it made perfect sense. It made the growers understand we really care about them, our customer and we get that this affects them and ethanol is important to them so it’s important to us.”

Learn more about New Holland’s BigBaler by listening to my interview with Jarrod Angstadt: Interview with New Holland's Jarrod Angstadt on the BigBaler

New Holland 2016 Farm Progress Photo Album

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Audio, Energy, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, Harvest, New Holland

Geared to Give Honors Farmer Veteran

Cindy Zimmerman September 12, 2016

Aaron White is now the owner of an L-Series compact Kubota tractor, thanks to the “Geared to Give” program. White was given the keys during a ceremony at the Farm Progress Show in honor of his years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps and his dedication to farming.

“Geared to Give” is a partnership between Kubota and the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) that provides support for military veterans pursing a future in farming. White served as a machine gunner in Japan, the Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan from 9/11 through May of 2005. Now he and his wife, Dana, farm 150 acres of row crops, a garden and cow-calf operation. White was notified of this honor the same day he won “tallest corn” at the Iowa State Fair (21 ft. 9 in.).

“I’m absolutely bewildered and can’t express my gratitude at this point with more than just a simple ‘thank you.’ In farming it seems that there is always a wolf at the door, but I’m a positive person even through the hard times and I’m so thankful to this program for helping my dreams come true,” White said.

The “Geared to Give” program works to identify the needs and further the agriculture careers of those who have served their country and are now serving their communities through farming.

“Farmer veterans like Aaron have earned the right to a little help,” said Todd Stucke, Kubota senior vice president of sales, marketing and product support. “They have proudly given back to this country through their military service to protect our way of life, and here at Kubota we are proud to help Aaron continue to make a difference in his community by farming in Iowa for many years to come.”

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

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Farm Progress Show

GROWMARK Buzzing For Pollinator Program

Lizzy Schultz September 9, 2016

GROWMARK has made an ongoing commitment to ensuring the financial and environmental sustainability of the solutions they offer their growers, and their commitment to sustainability was made evident through several of the programs discussed last week during the GROWMARK Annual Meeting and Agribusiness Symposium. Lance Ruppert, Director of Agronomy Marketing, sat down during the meeting to discuss several of the company’s major sustainability initiatives, including the ENDURE 4R Advocate Award and the new pollinator program.

“In general, agriculture hasn’t done the best at getting the message out there about letting people know what we’re doing from a proactive standpoint, so a large part of these initiatives comes from our want to get our message out and show how we’re actively going our part and being stewards of the land,” he said during an interview with AgWired.

The GROWMARK pollinator program gotten some great “buzz” throughout the industry this year. GROWMARK donated 10 pounds of pollinator-friendly flower seed mix to member companies, encouraging them to plant, give away, or promote the planting of the flower seeds in whatever ways they could imagine. The program has been a huge success, and several 4H pollinator programs have stemmed off of it this year.

“It really engaged our people, and we even started an employee pollinator program. By the end of the season we had 24 different sites where our employees were planting seeds,” said Ruppert.

Learn more in Lizzy’s full interview with Lance here:
Interview with Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Environment, GROWMARK, pollinators, Sustainability

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