The #IFAJ2016 is Ready to Start

Chuck Zimmerman July 12, 2016

Hello from Bonn, Germany and the 2016 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress. I came in early to visit with the Master Class and Young Leaders. You can see photos of them in the photo album below. Tomorrow is the main arrival day for attendees. We’ll have a program during the day and welcome dinner in the evening.

I want to say a big thank you to Bayer for sponsoring my coverage of the Congress this year. They are the Innovation sponsor for the Congress and we’ll be making some tour stops at Bayer facilities later this week.

I’ve mentioned this many times but have to say it again. This conference provides an awesome opportunity for any agricultural journalist regardless of what country or organization you belong to. I’ve already seen friends from Canada, Africa, Germany and Switzerland. We’ll get to learn a lot about German agriculture including farm policy as well as touring farms of various kinds.

I am also taking official photos for IFAJ this week and have to thank them for the opportunity to do so. I’ll be giving my new Nikon D750 a workout this week, carpal tunnel brace and all. LOL. Auf Wiedersehen

Photos from the congress will be posted here: 2016 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by

IFAJ, Media

BioSynthetics Perfecting Soy-based Petro Alternative

Joanna Schroeder July 12, 2016

BioSynthetics Technologies was a featured company during the 2016 Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue that recently took place at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The company is a USDA transfer partner and during the event spoke about their soy-based motor oil. To learn more, Cindy Zimmerman spoke with Greg Blake who is the company’s director of strategic development. Blake explained that USDA developed a molecule that replaces the petroleum used in motor oils and other lubricants. The molecule is based on a biobased feedstock- soybeans.

“So our challenge now is to take that technology, perfect it, commercialize it and get it out into the market,” said Blake.

The company’s base oil is the product they make and that goes in different types of lubricants, explained Blake who noted that the primary ingredient of their base oil is free fatty acid, more specifically, oleic acid from soybean oil. Blake said this is the largest ingredient in their product. They are using a fairly new soybean variety that produces more oleic acid, which Blake said has been a boon for them.

The United Soybean Board (USB) has been a great partner of BioSynthetics Technologies as the company moves from R&D to testing to commercialization. Blake said USB has helped in many ways including hosting events such as this, helping get them in front of potential customers that will help prove out the new technologies, help with funding of technical studies and assisting in demonstrating the viability of the product, and much more. The next step for the company is to build a plant somewhere near the Gulf Coast.

Learn more about BioSynthetics Technologies’ emerging soy-based bioproduct petroleum replacement here: Interview with Greg Blake, BioSynthetics Technologies

USB Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue photo album

Audio, Soybean, USB, USDA

What Brexit Means for the Global Food System

Joanna Schroeder July 12, 2016

The Farm Foundation is hosting a free forum focused on the repercussions of the British electorate vote to leave the European Union (EU). The impact is being felt across dozens of sectors, including agriculture. “What Brexit Means for the Global Food System,” will take place Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am EDT in the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club, 519 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. A free, live audiocast will also be available.

The free Forum is ideal for people who have an interest in agriculture, food and rural policy including members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, industry representatives, NGO representatives, economists, academics and members of the media.

Farm Foundation President Constance Cullman will moderate the discussion. After comments by the panelists, the floor will be opened for questions and discussion. Perspectives on the topic will be presented by:

John Dardis, Senior Vice President of U.S. Corporate Affairs for Glanbia, and the former First Secretary for Agriculture at the Irish Embassy, Washington, D.C.;
Mike Dwyer, Chief Economist for the U.S. Feed Grains Council; and
David Green, President of Greenhouse Communications, working in the agriculture, food and biotechnology sectors in the EU, South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

While the event is FREE, Farm Foundation is requesting attendees pre-register if they plan on attending the event in person at the National Press Club. For those who are planning on listening to the event via the audiocast, click here to register. Following the Forum, audio and presentations will be available on the Farm Foundation website.

Agribusiness, Biotech, Events, Farm Foundation, Food, International

I Am @USFRA – #Pork Producer Doug Wolf

Cindy Zimmerman July 12, 2016

Former National Pork Producers Council president Doug Wolf of Wisconsin has been involved in the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) since it started five years ago.

“It’s been exciting to see it start as a seedling and develop into what it is today,” says Wolf. “We just wanted to be part of the conversation and tell what’s really happening on the farm instead of having somebody else tell what they think is going on.”

Wolf says USFRA is helping to facilitate dialogue between farmers and consumers on a number of important issues. “The bigger ones we are looking at today are sustainability issues, such as the use of antibiotics,” he said, noting that the “Farmland” movie has really been beneficial in educating the public.

Listen to an interview with Doug here: Interview with Doug Wolf, Wisconsin pork producer

Audio, NPPC, Pork, USFRA

Purdue Students Engineer #Biobased Solutions

Lizzy Schultz July 11, 2016

L-R Purdue students Andrew Cameron and Harshit Kapoor with Ed Ebert, Indiana Soybean Alliance

Purdue University has hosted the annual Student Soybean Product Innovation Competition for the past 22 years, and one of the top teams in this year’s competition attended the 2016 United Soybean Board (USB) Biobased Stakeholder’s Dialogue to give a presentation on their invention and receive invaluable feedback from the soy biobased industry.

Purdue students Andrew Cameron and Harshit Kapoor teamed up for this year’s competition to create Soy Pods, single use laundry detergent pods that swap out the conventional polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film packaging for a renewable soy protein-based film. They took home third place and got the opportunity to attend the stakeholders’ dialogue where they interacted with biobased industry professionals.

“It was awesome to hear all of the ways that agriculture can be used in everyday sources, not just for food, but things that every consumer uses every day, and how agricultural products can replace things like petroleum,” said Cameron.

“This event left an impact that pushed us to keep moving forward on biobased products, and to keep pushing this product out there in the market, because it doesn’t only benefit our consumers, it benefits the farmers that grow soybeans in this country,” said Kapoor. “This was a great experience for me, after coming here from a foreign country, to get to experience the American Dream and see the Secretary of Agriculture support our ideas and help us move forward. It was so motivating.”

Listen to Cindy’s full interview with the Soy Pods Team here:
Interview with Andrew Cameron and Harshit Kapoor, Soy Pods

USB Biobased Stakeholder’s Dialogue Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Soybean, University, USB

A Sustainable Future is #Biobased

Lizzy Schultz July 11, 2016

USDA Secretary Vilsack visits with BBT’s Terri Mallioux

BioBased Technologies, LLC (BBT) was just one of the biobased manufacturing companies that made the trip to Washington, D.C. as an exhibitor and participant in the 2016 United Soybean Board (USB) Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue, and BBT exhibitor Terri Mallioux was on hand during the event to discuss how the company’s manufactured materials are improving the sustainability of a multitude of American products in ways that most Americans aren’t aware of yet.

The 100% woman-owned company, based out of Rogers, Arkansas, has become an innovative leader in renewable chemistry. They are the makers of Agrol, a line of USDA Certified Biobased polyols, the building blocks for polyurethane foam.

“By using soybean oil as a substitute for petroleum in polyol manufacturing, it not only helps the American farmer, but it makes the products biobased,” said Mallioux in an interview during the event.

Argol is manufactured in various different forms, each featuring a unique, specific chemistry. The different forms of the product can be used in a number of unique applications, from rigid foams to flexible foams that are used as mattress toppers, mattresses, and memory foam pillows. It can also be used in the foam underneath the upholstery in the seats of a car. Ford has already begun using polyols in their seats, and Agrol has been used for the foam under the seats of Ford Mustangs. It can also be made into the backings for carpet and synthetic turf, the underlayment for hardwood flooring, and trim board and decking for housing.

“We’re kind of difficult to market sometimes because the consumer doesn’t ever actually get to see our product, but they really need to know these products are extremely good for the environment, extremely good for the American farmer, extremely sustainable, and they are biobased,” said Mallioux.

Listen to Cindy’s full interview with Terri here:
Interview with Terri Mallioux, BioBased Technologies

USB Biobased Stakeholder’s Dialogue Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Environment, Sustainability, USB

#Soy #Biobased Backs Up Carpet and Grass

Cindy Zimmerman July 11, 2016

George Neagle of SYNLawn with Doug Giles, Universal Textile Technologies

George Neagle of SYNLawn with Doug Niles, Universal Textile Technologies

Soybased backing can make any home more environmentally friendly, both inside and out.

Universal Textile Technologies (UTT) provides backing for the carpet and synthetic turf and they are featured in a new United Soybean Board video debuted at last week’s Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue. “We adopted biobased chemistry using soy formulation with the help of the (USB) new uses committee in 1998 so we were an early pioneer in this,” said UTT Global Marketing Director Doug Giles. “And it’s in 100% of the products we manufacture today.”

Giles talks about why they were an early adopter of soybiobased technology in this interview: Interview with Doug Giles, UTT

SYNLawn, which was also featured in the USB video, is one of the companies that uses UTT soy-based backing for its synthetic landscape products, providing many environmental benefits in a growing market. “There’s been tremendous growth, particularly because of the water issues,” said SYNLawn’s George Neagle. “The product is green in its application and green in its manufacturing now.”

Learn more about SYNLawn in this interview Interview with George Neagle, SYNLawn

Another company that uses soy biobased polyol technology backing is carpet/flooring company Signature Accord. “It’s the right thing to do and doing the right thing shouldn’t be an option,” said company vice president John McIntosh. “For every pound of polyol we use, it takes between 12 and 16 bushels of soybeans…that’s a big deal to the American farmer.”

In this interview, McIntosh talks about how federal agencies and even Yellowstone National Park are using greener carpeting: Interview with John McIntosh, Signature Accord

USB Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue photo album

Audio, Soybean, USB

EPA Officials See Spray Drift Equipment in Action

Joanna Schroeder July 11, 2016

Around three dozen U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff recently visited a working research farm in Queenstown, Maryland to see first-hand demonstrations of the latest sprayers and pieces of equipment. Organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), the goal of the event was to demonstrate the voluntary steps and emerging technologies that the equipment manufacturing industry has developed to reduce spray drift both for the benefit of growers but also to reduce environmental impact.

Several major manufacturers participated in the event and showcased their equipment including John Deere, AGCO, Case IH, GVM and TeeJet.

The EPA drafts the rules governing manufacturers and spray drift and many of those responsible were onsite for the demonstrations. AEM is reporting that the event was not only unique, but very successful in showcasing spray drift reduction technology – multiple EPA employees commented to AEM team members about how useful the event was in learning about the steps the industry has already taken to address the issue.

“This demonstration offered AEM members a terrific opportunity to demonstrate the many steps manufacturers voluntarily take to reduce spray drift, both for the sake of their customers and the environment,” said Nick Tindall, AEM senior director for government and industry relations. “We believe this demo day will help AEM members establish a foundation for a better working relationship with the EPA on matters of importance for equipment manufacturers.”

AEM, ARA, Equipment, Precision Agriculture, Video

Your Thoughts on Senate GMO Disclosure Bill?

Chuck Zimmerman July 8, 2016

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What cookout cuisine do you bring to the table?”

We’re well into grilling season and hot off an Independence Day weekend. Burgers and pasta salad were high on the list. In the Other category we got answers like my favorite – steak!

Here are the poll results:

Pasta Salad – 25%
Cheese Burgers – 25%
Other – 18.75%
Baked Beans – 12.5%
Hot dogs – 6.25%
Pork spare ribs – 6.25%
Potato salad – 6.25%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What do you think about Senate’s GMO Disclosure Bill?”

The Senate has passed on a bipartisan National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard that would preempt individual state laws to require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. Now it goes to the House. What do you think about it?

Food, GMO, ZimmPoll

Register for #AgChat Foundation Conference

Chuck Zimmerman July 8, 2016

Registration is now open for the 2016 AgChat Foundation Cultivate & Connect conference. This year it will be held December 8-9 in Kansas City, Missouri. Who better to talk to about it than one of the Bayer, 6 AgVocates to Follow, Jenny Schweigert, Executive Director, AgChat Foundation?

According to Jenny it has been a pivotal year for the AgChat Foundation. Some of the signs of growth include a partnership with Conrad Weaver and his documentary, A Thirsty Land (which is sponsored by AgWired). Another is the acquisition of the Ask the Farmers, an initiative where over 60 farmers and ranchers from all walks of agriculture share their stories. Additionally, a new website will be revealed soon.

When it comes to the Cultivate & Connect Conference Jenny says attendees will find more advanced training in social media and agricultural outreach strategies. She says there is more interest this year from nutritionists and dietitians. You can find the program here. Register here.

Learn more about the AgChat Foundation and the conference in this week’s program: ZimmCast with Jenny Schweigert, AgChat Foundation

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

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