NCGA Elects Kevin Skunes

Kelly Marshall

NCGAKevin Skunes will step up as the National Corn Growers Association first vice president on Oct. 1.  Skunes currently serves as board liaison to the Grower Service Action Team and representative to the National Pork Producers Council, and has previously been on the Corn Board, the Association Relations Committee and the Finance Committee.

“I am deeply honored that my colleagues on the board chose to place their trust in my capability and commitment to leading our association forward as we work to create greater opportunities for corn growers across the country,” said Skunes. “We understand our farmers face a growing number of challenges. Working together as an industry and with regulators and legislators in Washington, we must grow markets through trade agreements, a return to statutory RVO levels outlined in the RFS while combatting the proliferation of regulations impacting U.S. farmers. I look forward to working with our grower leadership over the coming years to find innovative, impactful ways to grow the demand for our growing crop.”

Skunes is a corn and soybean grower in Cass County, North Dakota.  He and his wife and two sons work 4,900 acres.

On Oct. 1, Chip Bowling, of Maryland, becomes chairman and the current first vice president, Wesley Spurlock of Texas, becomes NCGA president. In October 2017, Spurlock becomes chairman and Skunes becomes president.

“NCGA’s success can be attributed, in large part, to the quality of farmers who have stepped forward to lead the organization, and we strongly believe that Kevin will continue this fine tradition,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling. “Our Corn Board appreciates the energy he brings to our work and the thoughtful insights he contributes to our discussions. Skunes continually demonstrates his dedication to farmers and his willingness to work tirelessly on their behalf.”

Ag Groups, NCGA

Novus International – Helping Feed Tomorrow for 25 Years

Jamie Johansen

A mission to “make a clear difference in sustainably meeting the growing global needs for nutrition and health” has lead Novus International to pledge commitment to customers and global stakeholders through a Triple-S Bottomline: solutions, service and sustainability. That commitment began 25 years ago and we helped their team celebrate last week at their headquarters in St. Charles, MO.

Novus brought in media from around the globe for a short-course on their innovation from key leadership and honored employees for their dedication and service. We have audio from the event to share throughout the week, but first learn more about their commitment to delivering on the 25 year vision of helping feed tomorrow.

View and download photos from the event here:Novus International 25th Anniversary Celebration Photo Album


Agribusiness, Livestock, Novus International, Nutrition, Video

#ASTAannual Opening Reception Jam

Cindy Zimmerman

asta-16-bandThe American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) got the ASTA-OSA Jam Band together for the opening reception, sponsored by Syngenta, at the 133rd annual convention in Portland, Oregon.

The venue was historic Edgefield, built in 1911 as the county poor farm, now transformed into a neighborhood gathering spot with pubs, historic hotels, local artisans, and more. The band was put together by ASTA chair Risa DeMasi’s musician husband Michael and showcased the musical talents of several members of both ASTA and the Oregon Seed Association.

asta-16-receptionRisa, pictured here with Michael and ASTA meeting and events director Jennifer Crouse, is very pleased with the turnout for this year’s convention held in her home state. Risa, who is with Grassland Oregon in Salem, is loving being able to showcase the diversity of Oregon’s seed and agriculture industry to the diverse membership of ASTA.

In this interview, Risa talks about the meeting goals and about the importance of communications in the seed industry: Interview with ASTA chair Risa DeMasi, Grassland Oregon

2016 ASTA-OSA Annual Meeting photo album

ASTA, Audio, Seed

Research Will Help Farmers Discuss Sustainability

Lizzy Schultz

wpx-16-184-edited The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) recently completed an extensive research project that dug into consumer perceptions about sustainability, and the findings may help producers continue to break through communication barriers and effectively get their story out to the increasingly disconnected consuming public.

Paul Spooner, Manager of Affiliate and Ag Communications for USFRA, sat down with AgWired’s Jamie Johansen at the 2016 World Pork Expo to discuss some of the research findings and highlight the plans in store to help producers use the knowledge in their own communication efforts.

“Sometimes it’s hard to pin down what sustainability actually means to consumers, so we wanted to find those key messages that really resonate with people,” said Spooner. “What we found is that eight out of ten consumers associate sustainability with four key areas: air, water, soil, and habitat, so we’re communicating that to farmers and asking them to include those factors into their narrative and make sure to talk about how they’re working to improve their operation in those areas.”

USFRA has several events planned for the summer to help share their recent sustainability research with producers, and will offer workshops to help teach producers different, effective ways to apply the information found in their research to create productive, positive dialogue about the industry.

“Just tell your story. A lot of consumers today are really far removed from farming and ranching and if you can just tell your story and share some examples, it really does resonate with consumers,” said Spooner. “Organizations like USFRA and other checkoff programs can work to help really amplify your story, so working closely with the organizations that you’re a part of can make a huge difference.”

More information on this research, as well as USFRA’s other existing projects and campaigns, can be found online here.

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Paul here: Interview with Paul Spooner, USFRA

View and download photos from the event here:2016 World Pork Expo Photo Album

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Ag Groups, Farming, Research, Sustainability, USFRA

#ASTAannual Gets Social

Cindy Zimmerman

asta-16-socialAs the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) 133rd annual meeting kicked off in Portland, Oregon over the weekend, the Management Skills Committee focused on using social media to fight the spread of misinformation about agriculture and technology.

Jim Schweigert, president of Wisconsin-based Gro Alliance, started off the social media session by presenting a montage of tweets and Facebook posts deriding biotechnology and noting the reach that many detractors, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Dr. Oz, have. “You can’t overstate it – the future of food is at stake,” said Schweigert. “If the voice of those who are against innovation and technology win the day, then the ability to develop better seed, better crops, and better food products is greatly diminished.” He says it is the responsibility of those in the seed industry to talk about why innovations and technology matter and how they improve food for the world.

As the nation’s largest independently owned contract seed corn production company, Gro Alliance produces GMO, non-GMO, and organic seed products, and Schweigert especially dislikes seeing segments of the industry work against each other, such as the negative messages propagated by the group Seed Matters. “You don’t have to disparage somebody else to promote your product,” he says. “It really becomes disingenuous.”

Schweigert encourages everyone in the seed and agriculture industries to become active on social media if they are not already, engage with people who have questions about technology, and be positive in the face of negativity.

Listen to my interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Schweigert, Gro Alliance

2016 ASTA-OSA Annual Meeting photo album

ASTA, Audio, Seed, Social Media

It’s #Enogen4Energy at Iowa Speedway

Chuck Zimmerman

#Enogen4Energy Press ConferenceIowa Speedway was the place for corn growers this weekend as Enogen presented the American Ethanol E15 250 NASCAR XFINITY race. Kicking things off was a press conference with representatives from Syngenta, American Ethanol, Growth Energy and Quad County Corn Processors.

Syngenta and Growth Energy are working together for the fourth consecutive year with Iowa Speedway to demonstrate the value of E15 at the NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen on June 19, 2016.

Representing a wide array of ethanol supporters, from farmers to bioengineering firms, American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy in partnership with the National Corn Growers Association to increase awareness about the value of American-made ethanol.
“Ethanol is helping America reduce its dependence on foreign oil, lowering prices at the pump, improving the environment with lower emissions, and growing the economy with jobs that can’t be outsourced,” said Jack Bernens, head of Enogen at Syngenta. “The American Ethanol E15 250 is an excellent opportunity to engage consumers and help increase awareness for the benefits of Earth-friendly American ethanol. Syngenta is pleased to once again be working with Iowa Speedway, Growth Energy and the FFA to support the ethanol industry through our sponsorship of this signature event to tell ethanol’s story.”

Enogen® corn enzyme technology is an exclusive in-seed innovation from Syngenta and features the first biotech corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production. Syngenta is currently contracting with 20 ethanol plants in eight states with a combined production capacity of more than 1.5 billion gallons.
Last year, Syngenta announced it would donate one dollar for every acre planted with Enogen corn to the Prime the Pump Fund during 2015-16. Prime the Pump is helping high-volume, progressive-minded and industry-leading fuel retailers, who will demonstrate the performance, cost savings and profit opportunity of marketing higher ethanol blends such as E15. During race weekend, local FFA members will be engaging racegoers to help tell ethanol’s story and raise funds for the Prime the Pump Fund, which will be matched by Syngenta.

Retail partnerships like Prime the Pump are more important than ever as a strategy for growing demand for American ethanol, said Kelly Manning, vice president of development for Growth Energy.
“American ethanol has become an important success story,” Manning said. “For our industry to enjoy sustainable success, however, there needs to be an increase in ethanol demand. Looking ahead, retail partnerships will be key to expanding the availability for higher ethanol blends.”

Listen to or download the audio of the press conference here: Enogen Press Conference


You can find lots of photos from Iowa Speedway race weekend here: Enogen Syngenta NASCAR Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, NASCAR, Syngenta, Video

Novus Unveils Project Horizon at #WPX16

Lizzy Schultz

wpx-16-106-edited As part of their ongoing commitment to bringing customers innovative solutions to the challenges facing the industry, Novus International used the 2016 World Pork Expo as an opportunity to debut Project Horizon, which aims to help producers navigate through the transition to antibiotic-free production.

“We’ve had in-house expertise in terms of gut health and nutrition throughout the 25 years that Novus has existed as a company, so we thought it was time to finally dedicate substantial resources and time to this project in order to help our customers in their transition to antibiotic free meat production,” said Jared Hux, senior manager, North America Marketing with Novus in an interview during the Expo.

The project’s objective is to create a comprehensive portfolio of resources and products for producers to manage herd health through nutrition, and also intends to help address any heightened health and performance concerns due to the reduction or complete removal of antibiotics.

“We know a lot about organic trace minerals, we know the difference between organic and inorganic trace minerals, and with that science-based knowledge we’re able to deliver a solution set that is very specific and offers a very unique return on investment compared to other products on the market that don’t have that level of expertise,” said Hux.

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Jared here:
Interview with Jared Hux, Novus International

View and download photos from the event here:2016 World Pork Expo Photo Album

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Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Audio, Feed, Novus International, Nutrition, Veterinary, World Pork Expo

Global Business Climate Remains Slow for Ag Machinery

Lizzy Schultz

agrievolution-business-barometer-chart Results from the latest Agrievolution Business Barometer survey are showing that, while the global downturn in the agricultural machinery industry seems to have stabilized, global recovery is not in sight for the next six months, and the sector may stay at current low levels.

The survey found that the global business climate index is back to the low level of October 2014. While the current situation is evaluated to be significantly worse, future expectations have improved, but they are far more muted when compared with two surveys taken in 2015.

The biannual survey, produced by the Agrievolution Alliance, also found that East Asia leads the rankings for global industry expectations for single markets in the next six months, followed by Africa, while a majority of the survey participants expect turnover decreases in North and Latin American nations.

The survey found that the general mood of farmers is remaining negative, with low commodity prices and profitability serving as the major cause. Prices are not projected to change in the short-term.

Find the full report here.


AEM, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Farm Machinery, International, Markets, Research, Video

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GROWMARK FS Members Meet With Paul Ryan

Lizzy Schultz

growmark-fs-paul-ryan Twenty five GROWMARK FS general managers, board presidents, young farmer customers, and board and staff members were able to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan earlier this week at his office in the Capitol. Speaker Ryan outlined seven points of his agenda for next year, and attendees were able to discuss several issues important to the System, including GMO labeling.

“The meeting with Speaker Ryan was a great opportunity for our group to verify what I’ve known for a long time – that the Speaker is a friend to virtually all of our issues as an agricultural cooperative,” said GROWMARK and Conserv FS board member Kevin Malchine. “Every time I speak with him, I come away impressed.”

“It’s really valuable to meet someone like Speaker Ryan in person because you get to know them as an individual,” said Paul Munie, a farmer from Caseyville, Illinois and St. Clair Service Company customer. “I really appreciated the opportunity to discuss the issues that matter to me with the Speaker.”

The meeting occurred as the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Washington Conference was held concurrently, and GROWMARK System members were able to conduct meetings with Speaker Ryan and more than 30 Representatives and Senators from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, GMO, GROWMARK, politics