#Plant16 Progress Surges

Kelly Marshall

#plant16The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that corn planting continues to be ahead of the five-year average.  Last week results showed 30 percent of the total corn acres have been planted, numbers that exceed the average by 14 percentage points and ten percentage points ahead of where growers were just the week before.

Missouri leads the way in corn planing, surpassing the five-year average by 50 percentage points.  Iowa and Minnesota are ahead of the game as well, showing more than 30 percentage points ahead of the five-year average as well.  Texas is currently the only state behind the five-year average by more than five points.

The USDA also released its first forecast of the percentage of corn emerged this week. While planting ran far ahead of the five-year average, the percentage of the corn crop emerged surpassed the five-year average by only one percentage point. Again, Missouri saw progress the furthest ahead of the average, with 24 percent of corn acres emerged. The state normally sees only ten percent emergence by this point.

The full report is available here.

Agribusiness, Corn, Planting, USDA

Youth Programs Help @GROWMARK Grow

Cindy Zimmerman

growmark-ffaWhen it comes to sustainability in agriculture, the most precious natural resource for the industry to preserve is our young people, and the GROWMARK System and FS member cooperatives are all about that.

GROWMARK has a long history of making a significant investment in youth, from helping to fund Ag in the Classroom, to supporting FFA and 4-H, to a world-class internship program. “Today’s young people are going to be the consumers of tomorrow using the products and services that our customers produce,” said Karen Jones, GROWMARK Youth and Cooperative Education Specialist. “They’re also hopefully going to be some of our future employees and we’d like them to have a strong understanding of agriculture and of cooperatives.”

growmark-karen-jonesAmong the many ways GROWMARK supports youth is through its annual essay contest for FFA members in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and now Missouri. Jones says 2016 was the 23rd year for the contest and this year’s theme was sustainability. “We got some good definitions of what students feel sustainability means,” said Jones. “We also asked them to offer suggestions of what they can do to be more sustainable themselves or encourage their families and others to be more sustainable.”

A newer initiative GROWMARK has developed for even younger people is a pollinator garden program through 4-H to promote the sustainability of bees and other important pollinators. “We have a proprietary wildflower seed blend available through our FS member cooperatives and we are providing some of that seed to 4-H clubs who signed up for the program to plant a garden in their community,” Jones explained.

Learn more about GROWMARK youth programs in this interview: Interview with Karen Jones, GROWMARK

Audio, Education, FFA, FS System, GROWMARK

AgChat Acquires Ask the Farmers Initiative

Jamie Johansen

AgChat FoundationThe AgChat Foundation has reached an agreement with the creators of Ask The Farmers to acquire its websites, trademarks and platforms.

“This is an exciting time for both ACF and Ask The Farmers,” said AgChat Foundation Vice-President Marie Bowers-Stagg. “We look forward to continuing their great work by providing the back-office support to help keep the ATF community of bloggers thriving.”

Screen Shot 2016-04-25 at 3.11.07 PMFounded in 2014, a small group of passionate AgVocates set out to help answer consumers’ questions. The popular initiative has grown exponentially. With over 40 contributors writing in excess of 150 blog posts, the site has had nearly 200,000 views. ATF also has a Facebook page where consumers can have questions answered, with a weekly reach of over 40,000 people.

“This is really the next step forward in AgVocacy for the AgChat Foundation as we continue to be the thought leader in ag social media”, adds Jeff VanderWerff, AgChat Foundation President. “As we move forward, we will to continue to be the leading resource for agricultural social content.”

AgChat Foundation’s top priority is to maintain the farmer to consumer relationships that the Ask the Farmers project has cultivated over the last year.

Ag Groups

Crowd Gathers for Thirsty Land Debut at #Water4Food

Joanna Schroeder

As a hush came over the theater last night and the lights went down for the opening scene of the documentary Thirsty Land, the sound of rain pounding on the roof served as background noise. A bit ironic. Especially in light of meeting a community in California that has run out of water.

DSC_0077Thirsty Land, directed and produced by Conrad Weaver, focuses on the multi-year drought facing California, Washington and other southwestern states. The documentary debuted as part of the Water for Food Global Conference taking place April 24-26 in Lincoln Nebraska at the Nebraska Innovation Campus.

Maybe the biggest impact the drought has had is not to consumers, but to hundreds of farmers in California who were given no water allocation for the 2015 growing season. This has led to hundreds of thousands of acres of fallow agricultural land, much of which used to produce much of America’s produce, fruits and nuts. Yes, consumers, no water = no food. No water = no life. For anyone.

Why must I make this obvious statement? Because as water shortages become more common, there has been a call for agriculture to reduce its use of water. Approximately 70 percent of all water used globally is for agriculture. Farmers are feeling the pressure of lack of water while trying to grow safe, healthy food and more of it. A resonating message in the film from the farmers is “Stop vilifying us. Stop vilifying agriculture. We need to work together to solve water problems, not play the blame game”.

A truer statement was not uttered. Farmers intrinsically understand the value of water and have been some of the first in the country to begin integrating water sustainability and conservation programs. Thirsty Land follows the journey of growers who share their stories of how water shortages have affected operations from dairy farmers to fruit producers to sheep producers. The film follows the farmers as they try to find solutions to get through the drier years; yet still produce enough food to keep the farm in operation all while putting conversation programs in place for future drier years.

DSC_0085There are some very touching stories in the film – especially around the town in California with no water while the documentary was being filmed. Weaver said they did get access to water again earlier this year but it’s still spoty, at best. The cinematography is stunning in places and there is even a horrific beauty in the shots of deep cracked earth and the dying environment.

While the documentary is about the unbreakable connection of water and food, it is really a film not for the agriculture industry, says Weaver, but for consumers. Weaver stresses there is a need for consumers to better understand the dynamics of water and food and thus, become more supportive of water programs that put agriculture first.

Thirsty Land will be playing in cities across the country and on college campuses this fall. Please go see this film when it comes to your community or campus. If it is not scheduled, then consider hosting a screening. And consider donating funds to get this film in front of as many consumers across the country as possible.

To learn more about the film, the experiences of the filmmaker and why he feels Thirsty Land is so important, listen to my interview with Conrad Weaver here: Conrad Weaver, Thirsty Land Producer & Director

Agribusiness, Audio, Water

Bayer Awards $150,000 Grant To National Ag Center

Jamie Johansen

bayer-cropscienceBayer CropScience has announced increased support of the National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame, through a $150,000 Bayer USA Foundation grant. This three-year grant will help create a new children’s exhibit within the Ag Center’s Children’s Agriculture Science Center. The new exhibit is set to open in 2018.

Located in Bonner Springs, Kansas, the mission of the Ag Center is to educate people on the historical and present value of American agriculture and to honor the leadership in agribusiness and academia. Created by a rare federal charter signed in 1960 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Ag Center is largely funded by private and corporate donations, and Bayer is one of the museum’s main supporters.

“We are so thankful to Bayer for its generous support of the Ag Center through this grant from the Bayer USA Foundation,” said Dawn Gabel, executive director of the National Agriculture Center & Hall of Fame. “It is exciting to imagine that a child who will visit this future exhibit could one day become an inductee into our very own Hall of Fame thanks in part to what they learned here about agriculture.”

Through this new children’s exhibit, as well as other educational initiatives like Making Science Make Sense ® – a program advancing science literacy across the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning – Bayer seeks to inspire students of all ages to learn more about what makes agriculture not only exciting, but also essential to the future of our planet.

“The National Agricultural Center & Hall of Fame is truly one of our country’s greatest treasures, and Bayer is proud to support its mission as part of our own efforts to inspire the next generation of leaders in the agriculture industry,” said Paul Nagy, site leader for Kansas City Bayer Crop Science. “In all of our local communities, it is essential that programs and initiatives like this exhibit are available to support parents, teachers and other leaders in providing these sorts of educational opportunities for students of all ages.”

Agribusiness, Bayer, Crop Science, Education

Folta Chosen for Borlaug CAST Communication Award

Kelly Marshall

Kevin Folta, associate professor of Horticultural Sciences. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is pleased to announce Dr. Kevin Folta as the winner of this year’s prestigious Borlaug CAST Communication Award.  Dr. Folta serves as the Chair of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Services.  He is a teacher, mentor, researcher and organizer and has a talent for relating to the non-scientific crowd.  He focuses on clear, credible information and trains scientists, farmers, physicians and students to reach out on confusing scientific and controversial topics.

As a Department Chair, Folta provides statewide administrative leadership in the University of Florida’s teaching, research, and extension fruit and vegetable programs. He coordinates and supports efforts in more than 50 research programs at seven locations, ranging from citrus breeding and biotechnology to organic and sustainable production. His laboratory examines how plants sense light signals and how different parts of the light spectrum can affect shelf life and high-value fruit and vegetable traits. His group also uses novel genomics approaches to identify genes related to flavor and disease resistance.

Although he is an accomplished scientist, Folta is respected by his peers and many others for his ability to communicate in a polite, thoughtful, and provocative manner. As one colleague stated, “He treats everyone with tremendous respect. He often transforms conflict-riddled situations into true learning moments.” With his passion for science, knowledge, and understanding, Dr. Folta is a worthy recipient of the Borlaug CAST Communication Award.

Folta’s blog is a reflection of his passion for communicating science, as are his weekly podcasts.  He is a highly regarded speaker around the world and he has designed a workshop to teach scientist how to engage a skeptical public.  Julie Borlaug notes that, “He has not shied away from controversial subjects and has often been the number one target of the anti-science movement on behalf of all of us who support biotechnology.”

Folta will receive the award at a breakfast event hosted by Dupont and CAST at the World Food Prize Symposium in October.

Ag Groups

Senate Ag Committee Urges T-TIP

Kelly Marshall

roberts-stabenowThe 13th round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) beings today in New York.

In preparation for the new round of talks U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, along with 26 other Senators, set a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Michael Forman, to ask for a strong framework for American agriculture in the agreement.

“America’s farmers and ranchers feed the world. Let them do so without senseless barriers and tariffs,” said Chairman Roberts. “U.S. agriculture’s market share in the European Union is shrinking, and we cannot let that continue to happen. If T-TIP is truly to be a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement, agriculture trade issues must be addressed before negotiations conclude.”

“American made and grown products are the best in the world,” Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said. “While it’s understandable that other countries may not want to compete against us, that does not mean they should be able to unfairly target our products. With a shrinking market in the EU for American agricultural products, it’s important that our trade negotiators take steps now to reverse this trend and address issues facing American farmers and ranchers.”

Those who sent the letter are: Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; John Boozman, R-Ark.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Richard Burr, R-N.C.; Bob Casey, D-Pa.; Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.; Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; David Perdue, R-Ga.; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Ben Sasse, R-Neb.; John Thune, R-S.D.; Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; and Mark Warner, D-Va.

You can read the letter in its entirety here.

Exports, Trade

Used Equipment Calculator from Iron Solutions

Kelly Marshall

ironguides_logo-1Iron Solutions has announced a new online product.  The company that created IRON Guides®, IRON HQ® and a full suite of equipment data and software products has now launched the IRON Guides Residual Value Calculator® for Used Equipment.  This new offering will be sold separetly from their current lineup of products.

With historically high levels of used agricultural equipment being purchased, this new product was designed to meet a growing need in the equipment marketplace for the valuation of inventory.  The Calculator can help dealers forecast wholesale values of the equipment in their inventory.  This should assist dealers in gaining a better understand of the market value of their machines and help them make more informed transaction decisions.

The IRON Guides Residual Value Calculator is the latest in a portfolio of advanced reporting and software products from Iron Solutions. In addition to sophisticated industry data, the calculator includes input from Iron Solutions’ staff of industry-leading analysts who have equipped the Residual Value Calculator to account for market, industry and geographic variables that can be customized for each user.

The IRON Guides Residual Value Calculator for Used Equipment is available now in the U.S. and is expected to be available later this year in Canada.

Agribusiness, Equipment

Alltech Acquires Ireland’s Keenan

Jamie Johansen

alltech logoAlltech has agreed to acquire Keenan, a leading farming solutions company in Ireland. Keenan is the 14th acquisition for Alltech globally since 2011.

“The Keenan group has long been a friend of Alltech. This is a story about two great Irish; globally-minded companies coming together. As an Irishman, I am delighted to welcome Keenan to our family, because together we can deliver greater value to our global farming customers with a wider variety of technological solutions,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “Between Alltech’s primacy in science and Keenan’s manufacturing strength and technological know-how, we have a winning combination for delivering greater farm efficiency and profitability direct to our farming customers.”

Screen Shot 2016-04-24 at 6.31.26 PMAlltech and Keenan have identified possible growth opportunities together, which may include nutritional technologies and feeding programs focused on feed efficiency and herd health as well as advanced ration formulation.

“This is an exciting time for Keenan to join us here at Alltech,” stated Alric Blake, CEO of Alltech. “Alltech is looking for avenues to better deliver the Alltech brand to farmers and provide nutritional solutions to those who directly benefit from their use, whether in animal or crop production. Science and technology are at the forefront of everything we do. This new journey with Keenan further strengthens our ability to deliver on-farm nutrition solutions.”

Keenan will continue to be headquartered in Borris, Co. Carlow, Ireland. Together, Alltech and Keenan employ nearly 300 people in Ireland and close to 5,000 globally.

Agribusiness, Alltech

Register for the 2016 ARC Annual Meeting

Lizzy Schultz

ARC-2016-Meeting Registrations are rolling in for the 2016 Ag Relations Council (ARC) Annual Meeting, June 21-23, 2016, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The meeting will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel on the St. Paul riverfront. As always, professional development, tours, the Golden ARC Awards and networking will be on tap!

The exciting meeting agenda can be found here. Be sure to keep an eye on the ARC website for all the latest and greatest meeting updates.

Attendees can register online here

Hotel Reservations can be made online here or by calling 800-628-2112 and identifying yourself as being a part of the Agricultural Relations Council group.

Attendees are encouraged to contact the ARC staff with any questions.

Ag Groups, ARC, Events