AEM Talks Issues at #Classic16

Lizzy Schultz March 10, 2016

The Association of Equipment Managers (AEM) gave a press conference on several issues facing the industry during their inaugural year as an official affiliate of the 2016 Commodity Classic

A major concern highlighted in the press conference was infrastructure deterioration occurring across the nation, which impacts the transportation of commodities and food to market. Senior Vice President Charlie O’Brien called on the industry to support AEM’s Infrastructure 2050 Challenge, an initiative with a goal to inspire and craft a long-term vision for U.S. infrastructure by providing a platform for high-level thought leaders to contribute to and advocate for its development. The three-phased, crowdsourced competition will award $150,000 in prizes for innovative ideas.

“One of the questions we’re going to start asking a lot is what the future holds for U.S. infrastructure,” said O’Brien. “We’ll be asking this question this coming year through many different channels, and we’re looking for partners interested in working for us to promote the compelling stories that illustrate how important it is to address the issue of the crumbling U.S. infrastructure.”

More information on the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge can be found here

Nick Tindall, Director of Government Affairs, also spoke on some of the issues AEM is working on in Washington, DC.

“I feel that one of the most important things that AEM brings to the agriculture advocacy group in Washington, D.C. is how we expand the scope of the impact of agricultural issues,” he said. “When a lot of law makers and policy makers in Congress think of something like crop insurance, they just think of farmers, but AEM is able to bring a different aspect to the conversation by highlighting how much these issues matter to industrial America.”

Listen to the full press conference here:
AEM Press Conference at Commodity Classic

2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

AEM, Audio, Commodity Classic

Former USDA Deputy Joins DuPont

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2016

The mystery about why Krysta Harden resigned as USDA Deputy Secretary was revealed last week as Commodity Classic was getting underway in New Orleans. Harden has joined DuPont as vice president of Public Policy & Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), succeeding Linda Fisher who elected to retire last month.

Harden will have responsibility for leading the company’s public policy and government affairs strategies, as well as its sustainability, philanthropy, product stewardship and global regulatory activities and will be based in Washington, D.C.

“Krysta comes to DuPont as a widely respected leader with exceptional experience in natural resource conservation, agriculture policy and sustainability,” said James Collins, DuPont executive vice president. “She brings an unmatched understanding of the emerging challenges and opportunities that DuPont is addressing to improve everyday lives for people and communities around the world as we create value for our customers and the marketplace. We are very pleased to welcome her to the company.”

As to when Harden might be replaced at USDA, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was uncertain when asked about it during a press conference at Classic. “We’re going through the process … It’s just a matter of time,” he said. “Hopefully, that person, if they are designated gets approved and confirmed, but recently the Senate has shown a reluctance to even have a hearing on some people.”

Agribusiness, Sustainability, USDA

Farmers Honored at Bayer #AgVocacy Forum

Kelly Marshall March 10, 2016

Last week Bayer recognized their 2016 winners at the AgVocacy Forum in New Orleans. Tyler Wegmeyer of Wegmeyer Farms in Virginia was honored with the Young Famer Sustainability Award. The Produce Innovation Award was given to Amy Machamer and Hurd Orchards from New York.

“We are proud to recognize two farmers who are committed to modern, sustainable agriculture and focused on strengthening the public’s connection with agriculture,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “It’s an honor to work alongside people who are so passionate about their profession and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others.”

Wegmeyer Farms, owned and operated by Tyler and Harriet Wegmeyer, grows traditional foods like strawberries, pumpkins and approximately 30 other specialty crops in addition to corn, soybeans and wheat, but the path to making this a successful operation is anything but traditional. His story begins on a dairy farm in Michigan and takes a turn into Washington D.C. where he worked for both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, as well as the American Farm Bureau Federation. His background has proven to him how important “AgVocacy” can be in creating public policy.

“I don’t take for granted how fortunate I am to be able to engage people,” Wegmeyer said in his speech in New Orleans. “People come to our farm and have that exposure to agriculture once, maybe twice a year. I’m able to engage with them, we’re able to engage with them, on a personal level. I don’t have a lot of land, but my foot print to expose people to agriculture I think is quite large, and the same goes for the other 7 percent that are involved in [direct market] agriculture. I think its that type of agriculture we need to put more resources in and get an understanding of ‘that’s how we tell our story.’ Its through these types of farms.”

You can hear more about Tyler in his acceptance speech: Tyler Wegmeyer, Young Farmer Sustainability Winner

Amy Machamer and her mother, Susan Hurd Machamer are sixth and seventh generation farmers on their fruit orchard in Holley, New York. You can find apples, sweet and sour cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears and other fruit on this 200-year-old farm. The demand for fresh fruit has risen as consumers become more health conscious, giving them access to a large number of people and making Hunt Orchards the kind of farm worthy of the Produce Innovation Award.

“We have a saying on our farm, that there are many versions of beautiful. And I would add, there are many versions of wonderful in agriculture. It is our privilege on our farm to continue to try to inspire people by sharing our version of agriculture in all its many colors and textures and rich fabric as authentically, as genuinely, as profoundly as we can,” Machamer says of her operation.

You can listen to Amy’s acceptance remarks here: Amy Machamer, Production Innovation Winner

Bayer AgVocacy Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Bayer

#Classic16 Shatters Records

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2016

The 2016 Commodity Classic in the Big Easy was a big record setter.

Total attendance was 9,770, compared to 7,936 in 2015. Another record set was in the number of growers attending, at 4,596. Additionally, the trade show featured an all-time high of 433 participating companies, including 128 first-time exhibitors. These exhibitors filled a record 253,300 net square feet of booth space, 49 percent more space 2015’s trade show in Phoenix.

“We had a great show in New Orleans, with terrific weather and a fantastic location,” said Commodity Classic Co-Chair Wesley Spurlock. “As it was the first time in that venue, and with a new affiliate – the Association of Equipment Manufacturers – we were expecting a great event and got what we expected. A lot of smiling faces and growers who left town more informed, engaged and energized as we head into planting season.”

The 22nd annual Commodity Classic will take place March 2-4, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas. Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show, produced by the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

Your AgWired team gathered a ton of photos and interviews at the Classic, most of which have already been posted.
Find links to all of the posts that have been done on AgNewsWire:
2016 Commodity Classic

Also, check out the BASF Commodity Classic posts, which feature butterflies and milkweed, Maglis and scholarships, and more:
2016 @BASFAgproducts Science Behind

BASF Science Behind Living Acres Photo Album
2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Ag Groups, BASF, Commodity Classic, Corn

#LibertyLink #RealYield Grand Prize Winner

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2016

The grand prize winner in the Bayer LibertyLink Real Yield Game was revealed last week at the Commodity Classic to be Rick Juchems of Iowa, who received a year’s lease on a John Deere 8320R tractor.

Juchems is a corn and soybean farmer who also custom feeds hogs. He learned about the game from the Iowa FFA Alumni Association and played it because that meant the Iowa FFA would receive a $1 donation each time he played. In fact, so many Iowa farmers played the RealYield game that the Iowa FFA received a check for $7,480 from Bayer.

Juchems says he’ll be using the tractor to field cultivate where he’s hauled on hog manure. “I’ll put it on the no-till drill and I guess this fall we’ll haul loads with it,” he added.

Listen to an interview with the Real Yield game winner here: Interview with Rick Juchems, LibertyLink contest winner

2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, John Deere, Soybean

AFBF Urges Congress Not to Reduce Farm Programs

Kelly Marshall March 10, 2016

During the last farm bill the House and Senate Agriculture committees did their part to reduce government spending by drastically cutting funding for agriculture. Now the American Farm Bureau Federation and 254 other ag groups are calling for Congress to reject further cuts to farm programs. A recent letter to the Budget and Appropriations leaders opposes further reducing spending for conservation, nutrition assistance and the farm safety net.

Only two years ago the farm bill contributed a reduction of $16 billion over ten years to help meet the nation’s reform goals. Budget cuts involve difficult decisions and difficult actions. Some of those cuts are still being implemented today.

In addition to asking Budget and Appropriations leaders to oppose any additional cuts for the Agriculture Committees in the FY 2017 appropriations process, the groups also asked to oppose any proposals to re-open any title of the farm bill during the consideration of the 2017 Budget Resolution. The groups also requested that neither the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry nor the House Committee on Agriculture be subject to reconciliation instructions.

“The Congressional Budget Office projects that mandatory farm bill spending will decline over the next five years, while mandatory‎ federal spending outside the Agriculture committees’ jurisdiction will rise over the same time period,” the letter stated. “These committees have already done the hard work to make the difficult choices necessary to deliver bipartisan cuts, which the farm and food community have accepted in securing agriculture’s contribution to the goal of federal deficit reduction.”

You can read the letter here.

AFBF, Ag Groups

First Ever Trade Association for Plant-Based Food

Kelly Marshall March 9, 2016

The first ever trade group to represent plant-based foods has been launched. The Plant Based Foods Association represents 23 food companies who support consumer health and the environment with a plant-based diet. The purposed of the newly formed group is to educate, promote and advance policies regarding the fast growing sector of plant-based foods.

“Every other sector of the food industry – from sugar to organics – is represented in the policy arena,” said Michele Simon, executive director of The Plant Based Foods Association. “The time has come for the plant-based food industry to also have a collective voice.”

The association plans to educate retailers, food service professionals, and consumers about the myriad benefits of plant-based eating. Numerous health organizations such as the American Heart Association and international institutions such as the United Nations recognize the need to shift towards a plant-based diet, for both health and environmental benefits. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future recommends cutting back on meat not just for health and the environment, but also due to concerns for animal welfare, risks to workers, and antibiotic resistance. Consumers are increasingly heeding these recommendations.

Sales data suggests the total market for this sector (excluding data from Whole Foods Market) is around $3.5 billion. The category includes tofu and plant-based versions of meat, milk, yogurt, cheese and cream. These products have grown more than 8.7 percent in the last two years, compared to the general food sector with growth at just over 3.7 percent. Plant-based milks are a major driver in the increase in total sales.

Founding board members include, Daiya Foods, Follow Your Heart, Miyoko’s Kitchen, The Tofurky Company, and Upton’s Natural.

Agribusiness, Food

#Classic16 Celebrates Decade of Scholarships

Cindy Zimmerman March 9, 2016

BASF Crop Protection, the American Soybean Association (ASA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) celebrated ten years of rewarding future agriculture industry leaders with scholarships during the 2016 Commodity Classic last week.

A past scholarship winner who now works for BASF as a tech service rep had the honor of presenting the awards this year. John Schultz of Arkansas won one of the NCGA scholarships in 2010. “I had no idea that I would end up working for them,” John said of winning the scholarship funding by his current employer. “I was able to obtain an internship with them after receiving the scholarship and it opened up a lot of networking opportunities within BASF.”

John didn’t even think he had a chance of winning the scholarship in 2010 so he encourages students to take the opportunity. “You can’t win if you don’t apply,” he said. Interview with John Schultz, BASF

Tom Steever, Brownfield, with past scholarship winners - Morgan Perez (2012), Carly Cummings (2010), Laura Thompson (2008), and John Schultz (2010)

Brownfield’s Tom Steever interviews past scholarship winners – Morgan Perez (2012), Carly Cummings (2010), Laura Thompson (2008), and John Schultz (2010)

Schultz participated in a panel featuring past scholarship winners at the NWF booth at Classic, moderated by Tom Steever of Brownfield Ag News.

Morgan Perez of Washington received the first National Wheat scholarship in 2012 and it helped her change her career path to major in agricultural technology and production management and become a crop advisor. “I really did not plan on going into this field…I planned to be a doctor,” she said. Interview with Morgan Perez, 2012 wheat scholarship winner

Carly Cummings, who now works for Iowa State University, was one of John’s fellow corn scholarship winners in 2010. “The biggest benefit was the networking opportunities it allowed me,” said Carly. Interview with Carly Cummings, 2010 corn scholarship winner

Laura Thompson of Nebraska was the very first winner of the ASA Secure Optimum Yield (SOY) scholarship in 2008 as a high school senior. She received a masters degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in agronomy focusing on precision agriculture technologies and is now an extension educator at UNL. Interview with Laura Thompson, 2008 SOY scholarship winner

BASF Science Behind Living Acres Photo Album
2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

ASA, Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Corn, Education, NCGA, Soybean, Wheat

ClearAg Mobile App Launched by Iteris

Kelly Marshall March 9, 2016

Iteris ClearAg Mobile is a newly launched grower analytics application that uses information about weather, water, soil and crop growth to offer field-specific advisories to the grower. Jeff Keiser, the Vice President for strategic sales and marketing, spoke with AgWired at the recent 2016 Commodity Conference about this new technology.

ClearAg offers users information about the weather, water and soil and then sends all that information directly to your smartphone, Keiser tells Chuck Zimmerman. More than just the weather, the ClearAg Mobile app also interprets that data for you, applying it to what is going on in your field and how that affects crops at the stage of growth they are in. Growers can be alerted to prime times for planting, spraying, irrigating, fertilizing and harvest.

“I think the most important part of ClearAg Mobile is that its easy to get at the details around how much did it rain, and more importantly, how much of that is going to impact my crop through the soil, through penetration, or did it just run off?” Keiser offers as an example.

With up to 30 years of historical data in the system, growers and the professionals they rely on to help make decisions can access the information for one or all of an operation’s fields. With this subscription based service a user can set up his account to share data with as many consultants as they like, or make limited information available to a specific person, such as a landlord.

Learn more about this new app in the full interview: Interview with Jeff Keiser, Iteris

2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Agribusiness, Apps, Commodity Classic, data

More About Maglis from @BASFAgProducts

Cindy Zimmerman March 8, 2016

The big announcement at Commodity Classic last week from BASF Crop Protection was Maglis, an online agricultural platform designed to help farmers manage crops more effectively and efficiently.

BASF Vice President, US Crop Protection, Scott Kay says Maglis was developed through their work with farmers through Grow Smart. “It is all about the grower needs and their plans,” he said. “One of the key things about Grow Smart that growers really like it thinking about cropping decisions ahead of the timing and being able to make changes as they get into the season.”

Kay explains further in this interview: Interview with Scott Kay, BASF on Maglis

On hand for the launch was Bruce Erickson, Purdue Agronomy Education and Outreach Director, who talked about how precision agriculture has become mainstream at this point and he has been fascinated with farmers’ technology adoption and trends. “It seems to be the technologies that have succeeded on farms are those that have been automated,” Erickson explained. “This next phase and this tool that BASF is introducing speaks to the data side of precision farming.”

Erickson explains how Maglis can help farmers use data more effectively in this interview: Interview with Bruce Erickson, Purdue

Watch the entire Maglis presentation launch below:

BASF Science Behind Living Acres Photo Album
2016 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, data, Technology, Video

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