$2 M for Urban Ag Conservation from NACD, NRCS

Joanna Schroeder July 20, 2016

Forty-two conservation districts in 25 states have been awarded $2 million for urban ag and conservation projects. The money was given through the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The goal of the initiative is to help conservation districts and their partners provide technical assistance for ag conversation in areas where the land is predominately urban or urbanizing, especially in underserved communities.

“NACD and the conservation districts we represent work on a scale that no other conservation organization or coalition does,” NACD President Lee McDaniel, who is in his second and final year as president of NACD, told an audience of conservation leaders in Minneapolis on Sunday. “We have the reach we need to engage the 98 percent of folks who don’t necessarily produce our fuel, fiber, and food, but still can make a sizable and positive difference on the landscape. With today’s announcement, NACD is broadening its base and the base of support for conservation in this country. We are going to reward, support, and encourage conservation implemented on every landscape.”

The 2016 grants will help urban farmers, community gardens, other local agricultural partnerships implement conservation practices that support local food production, provide opportunities for education and stewardship, and protect natural resources.

Jason Weller, chief of NRCS and longtime champion of voluntary and incentive-based conservation said of the announcement, “I commend Lee for his leadership and vision, and for emphasizing the importance of urban conservation and urban agriculture. NACD and NRCS are focused on broadening our reach through more partnerships with communities across the country. Awarding this funding is an important step that NACD, state associations, and individual conservation districts are taking along with NRCS – a step that I’m very proud to support.”

Click here for a full list of the 42 award winners and their projects.

Agribusiness, Conservation

CropTrak Working Quietly and Gets New Look

Chuck Zimmerman July 19, 2016

It’s CropTrak now (not iCropTrak) as the company has changed the name slightly. You will see it on full display at the upcoming InfoAg Conference in St. Louis, MO. I’ll be there and will stop to visit CropTrak and I hope you will too.

I visited with Jonathan Sherrill, Central Business Lead at CropTrak / Cogent3D, Inc., to find out what the company has been up to lately. I wanted to get the full preview of what they will unveil at InfoAg but we’re just going to have to wait for the show to see that. However, what Jonathan told me is that the company has had a single minded focus on customer needs to solve problems and not just create new technologies to help sell more chemicals, seed and services. Those problems they’ve been solving involve the large amount of paperwork that farmers have to do today. Depending on the crop there can be a vast amount of paperwork today that includes insurance forms, n-application forms, water use forms. Just forms, forms, forms!

You can listen to my interview with Jonathan here to learn more about what CropTrak is doing: Jonathan Sherrill, CropTrak

Don’t forget to visit CropTrak at booth #32 in the trade show at InfoAg!

Agribusiness, Audio, CropTrak, Info Ag

ZimmCast with Owen Roberts, new IFAJ President

Chuck Zimmerman July 19, 2016

The Urban Cowboy himself is the newly elected President of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. He’s Owen Roberts, Director, Research Communications at University of Guelph. Owen (l) is seen being congratulated by past IFAJ President Marcus Rediger after the election during the IFAJ Congress in Bonn, Germany.

During the closing banquet festivities of the Congress Owen and I talked aboard our dinner boat on the Rhine river. I asked him what he hopes to accomplish and to tell us about this fantastic organization he is taking the helm of. Short and sweet he says his job is to keep it going!

Owen has been very involved with the professional/youth development work that IFAJ has been conducting that include pre-Congress activities like Master Class and the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders Program.

Learn more about Owen’s plans and the IFAJ in this week’s program: ZimmCast with Owen Roberts, IFAJ

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Audio, IFAJ, International, Media, ZimmCast

Larry Lee Joins Brownfield Ag News

Joanna Schroeder July 19, 2016

Larry Lee has joined the Brownfield Ag News team as a reporter and anchor for Wisconsin. With the exception of a decade running his family’s media transportation business, Lee has been on the air in Wisconsin since 1984. He has served as News Director and Program Director with several radio stations in the state, most recently as News Director for Midwest Communications in Wausau.

“Larry’s years of experience covering news and agriculture for local radio stations in Wisconsin makes him a great addition to the Brownfield team,” said Cyndi Young-Puyear, Director of Brownfield Ag Operations.

Larry Lee earned an associate of arts degree in audio visual communications from Western Technical College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Lee is the latest addition to the growing Brownfield team. Last month Andrew Flinn joined as a reporter covering Ohio.

Agribusiness, Media

.@FoundationFFAR Launches Food & Ag Research Prize

Joanna Schroeder July 18, 2016

The Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) has established a new National Academy of Sciences (NAS) prize for food and agriculture research. The $100,000 prize will be awarded to a mid-career researcher currently engaged in food & ag research. The endowment is underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and joint support from FFAR and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation endows the prize in perpetuity.

The first award will be given in 2017 and recognize a person, or persons, who have shown an extraordinary contribution to ag or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to ag or food production. Mid-career researchers at U.S. institutions may be nominated through October 3, 2016. For the purposes of the prize, areas of science with applications to agriculture include plant and animal sciences, microbiology, nutrition and food science, soil science, entomology, veterinary medicine, and agricultural economics.

“Scientific discovery has the power to transform how we live through the food we eat,” said Sally Rockey, executive director of FFAR. “The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is proud to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish this important prize at the National Academy of Sciences recognizing food and agricultural scientists for research achievements leading to cutting edge technologies and practices that impact how we produce and deliver nutritious food. I look forward to the first honoree and those that follow as they continue making breakthroughs that feed the world.”

This prize is the first of its kind to be awarded by NAS. “Endless discovery and innovation is essential in the quest to improve the quality of nutrition for all humans while recognizing inherent limitations in land, fresh water, and environmentally safe levels of fertilizer application,” said NAS President Marcia McNutt. “This new prize allows the National Academy of Sciences to recognize and support scientists whose research has the potential to improve our global food system.”

Ambassador Kenneth Quinn noted that Dr. Norman Borlaug believed it was critical that those who recognize and inspire global breakthroughs in food production should be honored. He added that Borlaug would “strongly support and warmly welcome” the new food and agriculture prize.

Rob Horsch, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation deputy director of agricultural development, added, “Food and agricultural research has been a key foundation of advances in human nutrition and economic growth, and will continue to be essential to future growth, resilience and conservation of resources and the environment. This new prize will acknowledge, reward and encourage major contributions to the field.”

Food, Research

USFRA to Host Dialogue on Water Quality

Joanna Schroeder July 18, 2016

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) in collaboration with the Farm and Food Alliance of Minnesota, will host a panel discussion, “A Celebration of Minnesota’s Waters,” on water quality and surrounding issues. The goal of the Dialogue is to share successful tools and tactics being used by farmers to reduce run-off, improve water quality and learn about ways to use water more effectively.

According to the organizations, water quality is a top-of-mind issue for residents in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Concerns about conservation, usage and sustainability as it relates to food production are just a few of the topics that are being discussed. Agriculture has received much of the blame for water quality concerns even though the industry is taking a leading role around improving water quality.

While this event is geared toward young professionals and interns in the Twin Cities, it offers a unique opportunity to engage for all people interested in water quality issues. The event is taking place July 26 from 2:00-4:00 pm with registration and networking beginning at 1:00 pm at the Weisman Art Museum, 333 E River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Click here to learn more and register for this free event.

Education, Environment, USFRA, Water

#IFAJ2016 Awards Excellence

Cindy Zimmerman July 18, 2016

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists honored the best in print, broadcast, photography, and global food reporting at the 60th annual IFAJ Congress this week in Germany.

Among the awards presented at the Congress was a new one – the IFAJ-FAO Prize for Excellence in Global Food Security Reporting which went to Laura Rance of Canada. Rance’s article, “Africa’s hunger games,” published in the Winnipeg (Canada) Free Press in April 2015, addresses the technical, economic and social issues related to this year’s contest theme, soil degradation.

Rance’s article also won her the IFAJ Star Prize for print journalism. Matthew Cawood of Australia was second in this competition. His story “Simplifying towards complexity” was published in Good Land Project in December 2015.

IFAJ Secretary General Riitta Mustonen presents People’s Choice Award to Chris McCullough of Ireland

The winner of the 2016 IFAJ-DeLaval Star Prize for Photography is Todd Klassy of the United States for the photo, “Braving the Rain” which depicts a rancher on horseback caught in a downpour of rain. The People’s Choice Award was presented to Chris McCullough of Ireland, pictured here with IFAJ Secretary General Riitta Mustonen.

Irish journalists won the majority of prizes in IFAJ Star Prize for broadcasting contest. Peter Varley from Ireland, Damien O’Reilly from Ireland and Prue Adams from Australia were the first prize winners of the contest 2016. Varley won first place in the digital media category with his story “Watch: Mating precision as 500 ewes serviced in Kilkenny”; O’Reilly’s winning radio story was ‘Gay Sheep Farmers’. Adams received first place in the TV category for his program of Q-fever on ABC Landline.

Congrats to all! Chuck got home safe and sound last night and is still sleeping but has lots more photos to upload and stories to share from #IFAJ2016.

2016 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

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IFAJ, Media

#Biobased Success Stories

Joanna Schroeder July 15, 2016

The biobased industry is taking off in leap and bounds and many companies already have great success stories. One such company is Cargill Industrial Specialties’ FR3 transformer fluid produced from soybeans. It was a featured technology during the United Soybean Board’s Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue that took place at USDA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Cargill gave a joint presentation with NASA on how they are using FR3. The products main competitor is petroleum based mineral oil.

To learn more Cindy Zimmerman spoke with David Bingenheimer, global technologies manager for Cargill.

Bingenheimer explained that FR3 is used in electrical transformers and it has many benefits. “The distinctive advantages of FR3 are, number one, environmentally, it has the best environmental footprint; it’s nontoxic, nonharzardous. biodegradable and carbon neutral. It has best in class fire safety capabilities the fire point of mineral oil is 160C and there are mineral fires everyday. The fire point of FR3 is 360C and there has never been a fire in an FR3 filled transformer. And the third is the way the transformer works inside the insulating system. It extends the life of the insulating system and/or used another way it enables additional load from the transformer so it actually improves the performance of the transformer.”

Learn more about FR3 by listening to Cindy’s interview with David Bingenheimer here: Interview with David Bingenheimer, Cargill Industrial Specialties

Another biobased success story? NASA. Shannah Trout works for the Sustainable Recycling and Acquisition Center at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She gave a presentation focused on some of NASA’s secrets to success. Last year the space agency purchased nearly $1 million biobased products. “For that alone I am very proud and that proves how we support all of you,” she said.

Trout said she is very active in USDA’s Biopreferred program and they get out an meet the vendors to learn more about technologies and they also invited them to the space center so they can get a sense of what types of biobased products NASA needs. She noted they buy biobased floor coverings and fuel additives along with a variety of other products that were on display at the Biobased Stakeholder Dialogue.

Learn more about NASA’s secrets to success by listening to Shannah Trout’s presentation here: Shannah Trout, NASA, Biobased Success Stories

USB Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue photo album

Audio, Environment, Soybean, USB

#Biobased for the @SeventhGen

Joanna Schroeder July 15, 2016

During the recent 2016 United Soybean Board (USB) Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue that took place in Washington, D.C., Cindy Zimmerman spoke with Martin Wolf with Seventh Generation, founded in 1988. The company produces biobased household cleaning products that are renewable and sustainable. These products are also designed to protect the health of the individuals as well as the environment, said Wolf. Products range from baby diapers to laundry and dish detergents to personal care products.

One of the things that the Wolf did during the Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue was help review the Purdue students soy pods for a laundry detergent. Wolf said his interest was peaked because laundry pods are the fastest growing segment in laundry due to their convenience. However, right now they are made with a petroleum based polymer film. “And because we only want to use biobased ingredients, although we do it, we don’t like to do it. So seeing a soybased alternative is extremely exciting to us and we would like to see this technology developed rapidly so we can use it commercially soon.”

Zimmerman asked Wolf how specifically Seventh Generation uses biobased products in their efforts. He answered, “We have a philosophy of sustainability for our products. We believe that materials should come from the earth and be returned to the earth so they can again become available as materials we use. So we make cleaning materials out of biobased materials. For example, they take plant oils and convert them into an ingredient. That ingredient then biodegrades so it can become a nutrient to grow plant oils, which we can they harvest and use again.”

Learn more about Seventh Generation’s bio-based philosophy and products here: Interview with Martin Wolf, Seventh Generation

USB Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue photo album

Audio, Environment, Soybean, USB

#IFAJ2016 Elects New Leadership

Cindy Zimmerman July 15, 2016

IFAJ officers – Past president Markus Rediger, President Owen Roberts, Vice president Lena Johansson, Secretary-General Steve Werblow, Treasurer Adrian Bell

Congratulations to our good friend Owen Roberts who is the first Canadian to serve as president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Roberts takes over for Markus Rediger of Switzerland who stepped down after completing four very successful years at the helm of IFAJ.

Roberts is joined by Lena Johansson from Sweden who replaces him as Vice president, and Steve Werblow from the United States as Secretary General, all for two year mandates. Adrian Bell from the United Kingdom continues in his mandate as Treasurer.

“Professional and leadership development of journalists and communicators specializing in agriculture is an essential component in ensuring the communication of information to contribute to an increase in sustainable food production,” said Roberts, who is Director for Research Communications at the University of Guelph. “I look forward to continuing the work to make IFAJ a truly global organization that will support agricultural journalists and communicators, and their country associations, in their efforts to defend freedom of the press and ensure a level of professional development equal to the task of providing sufficient food to a very hungry world.”

Expect Chuck will have an interview with Owen before the end of the Congress.

2016 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

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IFAJ

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