New Pork Board CEO Bill Even at #WPX16

Cindy Zimmerman

wpx-16-54-editedEarlier this month the National Pork Board named Bill Even as their new CEO. No stranger to the agricultural community or swine industry, Bill sat down with me at the 2016 World Pork Expo to discuss their key components focusing on people, pigs and the planet.

The people component is centered around connecting with consumers while building trust. The pig highlights how producers care for their animals and the importance of relaying that to the consumer. And finally, the planet ensures we have the best sustainable practices in place and always striving for continuous improvement.

“When I think about implementing our strategic plan and look at my first 90 days on the job, there are a lot of people in the industry that I need to meet and connect with. The World Pork Expo has given me fantastic opportunities to meet all the key players in the industry throughout the U.S. and globally.”

Listen to my complete interview with Bill here: Interview with National Pork Board CEO, Bill Even

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

wpx-bivi-tag

Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo

Flinn Joins Brownfield Ag News

Kelly Marshall

FlinnPicAndrew Flinn is joining Brownfield Ag News as an anchor/reporter in his home state of Ohio. For the past 15 years Flinn has been reporting new and agriculture, 14 of those with Brownfield affiliate WKTN.

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

Flinn holds a degree from the University of Findlay in communications and public relations, as well as an associate degree in broadcast production and engineering.  He has a been involved in agriculture in a variety of ways, serving as a member of the Hardin Country 4-H Advisory Board, Hardin Coutry  Agriculture Hall of Fame Committee and the Hardin County Ag Council. He has also been involved in the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce & Business Alliance and the Kenton Kiwanis Club.

Agribusiness

The Buzz About Sustainability at #CUTC16

Kelly Marshall

cutc-16-fred-yoderFred Yoder is an Ohio corn farmer who believes sustainability is more than a buzz word. At the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference Yoder told AgWired about his involvement with Climate Smart Agriculture, a term coined to describe just what it is growers will have to do to feed 9 billion people while working with what we’ve got. Working with the climate, Yoder explains, means adapting to changes, taking the bad weather with the good and figuring out how to use that to make farmers more productive.

More productive, it turns out, is often the same as more economical. Climate Smart Agriculture is founded on three main pillars; more productivity, adaptation and resilience, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When Yoder began his own journey in sustainability he said it started with conservation tillage and cover crops to become more productive. By adapting his practices with grid sampling and variable rates he began to see that the economics were leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on his farm.

It takes leaders, Yoder states, to make farming more sustainable. Someone needs to be out there being innovative on their ground. You don’t always make money at first, but then, very often, you do. And every farmer should be trying something, he believes.

“We need leaders to get out there and try it.  Every farmer ought to be trying something on the back forty that he is not necessarily comfortable with, but just try it.  Most of the time it works better than he thinks.”

You can listen to Chuck’s full interview here: Interview with Fred Yoder

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album;

Agribusiness, Conservation, CUTC, Sustainability

I AM @USFRA – Carla Wardin

Cindy Zimmerman

i-am-usfra-webCarla Wardin is a busy mother of three boys and a 6th generation dairy farmer with her husband in Michigan. She’s also one of the Faces of Farming and Ranching for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).

“I really enjoy speaking with consumers and other people in agriculture about the issues in farming today,” Carla says. “The part I like best is the people.”

usfra-carlaCarla blogs about her life on the farm, and enjoys going into schools to teach about farming and giving tours. “Because I’m so easily reachable, people will text me or email me or send me questions,” she says. “Anything they have questions about, they know they have a farmer they can reach.”

Carla is one of the second class of USFRA Faces and right now a search is on for the next crop of “spokesfarmers” to represent the industry. “It really does allow you to reach more people,” said Carla. “Through USFRA, they are literally giving a face to farmers and through that I feel that I am able to reach people who want to talk to a real farmer.”

Because the Faces program is so diverse and includes farmers and ranchers of all kinds of commodities and various areas of the country, Carla says it provides a broad view of the agriculture industry. “Because you are often the only farmer that someone knows, they’ll ask you about everything,” she said. “You can always say I know the person I can give you to who knows the information you’re looking for.”

Interested farmers and ranchers can apply for the program online by July 10, 2016 and will need to include a home video of less than three minutes describing themselves and their farm or ranch. Among other criteria, farmers and ranchers must have an existing social media presence, either through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or a blog. A combination of public voting and USFRA judging scores will be used to determine the winners, who will be announced on November 9 at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention (NAFB) in Kansas City.

Learn more about Carla and being a USFRA Faces of Farming and Ranching here: Interview with Carla Wardin, USFRA Faces of Farming

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Audio, USFRA

#CUTC16 Addresses Future of Wet Milling Technologies

Kelly Marshall

cutc-16-panelThe Corn Utilization Technology Conference is covering a wide variety of topics, including new technologies from the wet milling process of corn.  Members of a panel discussion met with Chuck to let him in on just what they were hoping listeners gained from their presentation.

Brent Shanks, a Ph.D. with Iowa State University covered the conversion of biomes and bio-based carbon into chemicals and materials and the paradigm of how to go after those products.

Kevin Coffman, part of the market development in ag environmental strategy group at Monsanto addressed corn in the pipeline be it traded material for an ethanol plant or any other food grade type of opportunity for the market for corn producers.  Most importantly, Coffman said, was the idea that a low carbon  agriculture product like ethanol might be the fuel of the future.

John White, Ph.D. at White Technical Research works as a consultant to the food and beverage industry in the area of sweeteners.  The milling process of corn can produce a wide range of sweeteners, he explained, including new ones being designed for today’s demands.

Raghunath V. Chaudhari, Ph.D. works at the University of Kansas in the area of converting biomes to chemical with the use of a catalyst.  New catalytic materials can change our use of current technologies to create something better, he tells AgWired.

Overall, Tom Binder, self proclaimed “referee” for the event hopes viewers went home with a better idea of future new uses for corn, in wet milling and otherwise.

Listen to Chuck’s full interview with the panel here: Interview with CUTC Wet Milling Technologies Panel

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album;

Agribusiness, Biofuels, Corn, CUTC

Miloud Araba talks Ethanol at #CUTC16

Kelly Marshall

cutc-16-araba-interviewed Miloud Araba is the head of technical services for the Enogen group at Syngenta. This week he spoke at the Corn Utilization Technology Conference, talking about the enzyme technology that creates corn grown for ethanol.

Araba says that Enogen is working with its longtime partner, Quad County Corn Processors to introduce Cellerate, a new process technology designed to enable dry grind ethanol plants to convert corn kernel fiber into advanced and cellulosic ethanol, increasing a plant’s ethanol production. “You’re not only bringing value to the ethanol plant, you’re bringing value to the farmer – the corn grower,” Araba explains. “In this case you’ve turned the farmer not only into a corn provider, but also an enzyme provider.  And so this is what we like to call a win, win, win. A win for the community, a win for the farmer, and also a win for the ethanol plant.”

He is also hearing a positive response from participants at the conference because of the simplicity of the process.  Technologies do not have to be complex to bring a lot of value is the resounding theme.

Listen to Chuck’s full interview here: Interview with Miloud Araba, Syngenta

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Syngenta

John Deere to Offer Nutrient Application Products

Kelly Marshall

JDJohn Deere dealers in North America will now sell and support the nutrient application products 360 Y-DROP and 360 UNDERCOVER.  The announcement came this week after an agreement between Deere & Company and 360 Yield Center.

“This innovative application technology from 360 Yield Center,” says John May, president, agricultural solutions and chief information officer, John Deere, “helps to improve timing and placement of nutrients with John Deere and Hagie application equipment, including self-propelled sprayers and toolbars. John Deere dealers will be able to provide sales and service support for these application products to help producers apply in-season nitrogen and plant health products where and when it’s needed.”

John Deere only recently announced a joint venture with Hagie Manufacturing to sell and service the Hagie high-clearance sprayer.  Now the new addition will create more alignment and innovation for sprayers.

“Demand for the 360 Yield Center nitrogen utilization products is tremendous. That’s why we are pleased with this allied distribution agreement with Deere,” says Gregg Sauder, president, 360 Yield Center. “We can now service and support more customers through the broadest dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. We have had a successful marketing partnership with Hagie and we are excited to extend this relationship to John Deere, their dealers, and their self-propelled sprayer and nutrient applicator line-up.”

Products you will soon find at your local John Deere dealership include:

360 Y-DROP gives farmers a wider window of application and more control over when and where to apply nitrogen and other nutrients to their crops. The unique design allows farmers to apply full-season nitrogen – even up to tassel – with precision placement and variable rate application.

360 UNDERCOVER helps farmers protect crops from late-season disease and insect infestations. It uses multidirectional spray nozzles and slides easily under the canopy so farmers can target fungicides, insecticides and nutrients exactly where needed for better product efficacy and improved crop health.

“John Deere now offers a more comprehensive application equipment line-up with the latest technology to help growers and commercial operators apply efficiently and accurately in all crop conditions,” says May. “Add to that our precision ag and data management technologies with the industry-leading support and service from our dealers, we’ve got an unmatched value proposition for our customers.”

Agribusiness, John Deere

Endure 4R Advocate Award Program from @GROWMARK

Cindy Zimmerman

growmark-agronomyGROWMARK has instituted a new award program to recognize the efforts of crop specialists who excel in engaging farmers by using sustainable, best-management practices.

The GROWMARK Endure 4R Advocate award was just given to five crop specialists in the FS System for working with farmers to increase their use of the 4R approach; applying fertilizers at the right source, right rate, right time and right place, and for encouraging growers to use a nitrogen monitoring program like N-WATCH.

“Nutrient management is a really important topic in the industry today,” said Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK director of agronomy marketing. “So this was a way to bring awareness to that and recognize our crop specialists who help growers manage nutrients.” The award was instituted as part of the GROWMARK Endure sustainability initiative.

This year’s winners are: Logan Haake, precision ag manager at Legacy Farmers Cooperative; Rick Klevze, Certified Crop Advisor at GROWMARK FS since 1994; Malcolm Stambaugh, crop specialist for Ag View FS; Jason Wesslund, area manager for the eastern half of Heritage FS; and Chris Snip, CCA with AGRIS Co-operative.

“We were looking for crop specialists who use the 4R system to manage nutrients – the right product, the right rate, the right placement and the right timing,” said Ruppert. “These guys are going above and beyond.”

The five crop specialists were nominated by their member companies and a selection committee comprised of individuals from the agriculture industry outside of the GROWMARK System served as judges. Winners will receive recognition for their achievement and an all-expense-paid trip with their spouse to attend the 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting and Agribusiness Symposium.

Listen to Lance talk more about this award and GROWMARK’s commitment to sustainability in this interview. Interview with Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK

Audio, FS System, GROWMARK, Sustainability

Saint Louis Science Center Adds Ag Exhibit

Lizzy Schultz

SLSC_basiclogo_white The Saint Louis Science Center has announced that GROW, the center’s permanent new agriculture exhibit, will open to the public this month on June 18. The exhibit will highlight the journey of food from farm to fork through 40 interactive exhibits, demonstrations, and events.

GROW is the first permanent agriculture exhibit of its size in the United States, and is designed with the intent to help visitors gain a deeper understanding of our food supply and the vital role we all play in the stewardship of our food. GROW is the Science Center’s first major addition since 1991.

“The Midwest region is filled with people and businesses who are responsible for our food supply. In fact, you don’t have to travel very far from the Science Center to see how important food and farming are to this area,” said Bert Vescolani, president and CEO of the Saint Louis Science Center. “Everyone likes to see how things grow, but when it is the food you eat, it is even more interesting. This exhibit helps connect people to the science behind all of the important elements in producing the food we eat and the challenges we face in sustaining our food supply.”

Many of the exhibit spaces will exist within the GROW Pavilion, an indoor space that features exhibits, educational programs, a bi-state agriculture map, and planned events that explore farming and its vital role in today’s complex local and global economies. Another space, the Farm Tech Field, will teach visitors all about the different ways scientists use technology to meet new challenges in agriculture. Animal Corral will allow individuals to try their hand at milking a life-sized cow, and then compare it with modern technology that allows for faster hands-free milking. On select days, local farmers will visit, bringing their animals with them. The HomeGROWn exhibit space will teach visitors all about growing food in their own backyard, and Fermentation Station will show the science behind making craft beer, wine, cheese and bread. Drop by and try our hands-on beer brewing and wine fermentation experiences.

More information about GROW may be found here.

Ag Groups, Education

Preview of the #CUTC16

Chuck Zimmerman

CUTC PostersAttendance at the 2016 Corn Utilization Technology Conference is higher than two years ago. The Chair of the committee for this year’s conference is Gene Fox, Cargill. I talked with him about the program this year.

Gene has worked with his committee to find sessions and speakers to fulfill the needs of corn growers, companies like Cargill and large food manufacturers. Some key topic areas being addressed include mycotoxins, sustainability, making high end chemicals for manufacturing processes and more. Gene says that he hopes research being displayed here will make it to the commercial market. He also hopes attendees will go home excited about what’s going on in the industry including the development of new products.

There are over 40 technical posters on display here from students as well as industry professionals. I hope to talk with several of them about their work.

You can listen to my full interview with Gene here: Interview with Gene Fox, Cargill

2016 CUTC Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, CUTC, Research