Largest Indoor Ag Trade Show Meets Expectations

Jamie Johansen February 24, 2016

The National Farm Machinery Show continues to be one of the largest-attended events at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Held Feb. 10 – 13 this year, attendees, exhibitors and agribusiness professionals totaled 295,258. Our team has brought you audio and photos from the event and want to once again thank our sponsors New Holland Agriculture and FMC. You can find our complete coverage at AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.

Known as the largest indoor agriculture trade show in the U.S., the event brings an economic impact of $20 million annually and fills hotels and restaurants throughout Louisville. Attendees come from across the nation and include delegations from Argentina, Italy, Germany, England and China.

“This is a show for the record books,” said Kentucky State Fair Board President and CEO Rip Rippetoe. “We expanded the number of exhibitors to 880 and introduced the expertise and advocacy arm of the American Equipment Manufacturers to increase our position as one of the most important agricultural trade shows in the nation.”

View and download our photos from the event here: 2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

and

Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Shows, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland, NFMS

AFBF and USDA Team to Unveil TPP Benefits Report

Cindy Zimmerman February 24, 2016

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall got together to discuss the benefit of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) for agriculture as AFBF released an economic analysis of the pending trade agreement. “Until today, we didn’t have a specific documented review or study of that benefit,” said Vilsack, said in thanking Farm Bureau for doing the analysis.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack with AFBF president Zippy Duvall in 2013 when Duvall was president of Georgia FB.

According to the analysis, TPP will help level the playing field for U.S. agricultural exports to 11 nations across the Pacific Rim and boost annual net farm income in the United States by $4.4 billion, compared to not approving the pact. Vilsack notes that the agreement reduces “18,000 tariffs and taxes … many of those are in or for agricultural products” which increases demand for American exports such as meat, dairy, fruits, and grains.

“TPP will mean a boat-load of expanded exports and increased demand for America’s agricultural products,” Duvall said. “Clearly, America’s farmers and ranchers have much to gain from approval of TPP and we support its ratification. American agriculture is a growth industry, and to continue that trend, we must expand our market opportunities.”

AFBF’s analysis forecasts farm-price increases for corn (5 cents per bushel), soybeans (12 cents per bushel), wheat (2 cents per bushel) and rice (16 cents per hundredweight). While cotton prices are not projected to change, cash receipts are projected to increase by $21 million. AFBF also predicts price increases for beef ($2.66 per hundredweight), pork ($2.45 per hundredweight) and poultry ($1.40 per hundredweight). In the dairy sector, prices will increase for butter ($2.81 per hundredweight), cheese ($1.68 per hundredweight), nonfat dry milk ($1.29 per hundredweight) and all milk (21 cents per hundredweight).

While procedural steps along the way will take time, Duvall said “the sooner TPP is ratified, the better it will be for American agriculture.”

Listen to the press call here: USDA-AFBF on TPP Benefits to Ag

AFBF, Audio, Trade

Passing of Jack Farmakis

Chuck Zimmerman February 23, 2016

We just learned that Jack Farmakis has passed away and are saddened to hear it. Once upon a time his company represented the first company that Cindy, Gary Cooper and I started in Florida. And his company now represents Gary’s Southeast AgNet and AgNet West.

Jack was an active member of NAFB since 1974 and left his mark on the industry. On his NAFB membership application, Jack wrote: “As a firm that is 100% active in agriculture, I want to be active in NAFB!!” Jack was involved with ag selling since the 1950s and eventually founded his national sales firm, J.L. Farmakis, Inc. in the 1970s. The NAFB family extends our sympathy to the Farmakis family and the J.L. Farmakis team.

You can find more information from the announcement from NAFB here.

Media, NAFB

New Holland Launches Marketing Technology Platform

Chuck Zimmerman February 23, 2016

The AgNerd in me was very interested in the announcement by New Holland about launching a new dealer marketing services platform created by SproutLoud.

The cutting-edge new platform features a highly-advanced tool loaded with preapproved messaging and images to ensure brand consistency—which equips its US and Canada dealers with expanded options for advertising and marketing and increases the agility and seamlessness of their individualized and customizable marketing efforts.

To learn more I spoke with Tony Resh, Regional Marketing Manager, New Holland. Tony says the new tool is called AMP Control Center – Activate, Market, Promote. He says it allows dealers to enhance their presence in the digital marketplace with features a user interface that is very simple to operate (think 1 click), customizable print or digital ads, dealer search engine optimization and marketing, automated and customizable social network posts and more.

You can listen to my interview with Tony to learn more: Interview with Tony Resh, New Holland

Agribusiness, Audio, New Holland

NAMA Announces Marketer of the Year

Kelly Marshall February 23, 2016

Dan Fanger has been announced the 2016 National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Marketer of the Year.

Fanger, who is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Unverferth Manufacturing, Co., Inc., has earned this honor for his outstanding accomplishment in agri-marketing. The award has been promoting excellence in the industry for more than 50 years and this year’s presentation will be held at the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference on April 14 in Kansas City, Missouri. The award is sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine.

Beginning in 1965 as the first full-time sales person for Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Fanger learned early how to build upon the company founders’ successes by listening not only to what customers say, but to dig deeper to determine what they really mean. The knowledge he gained has sparked the innovation of new products and initiated numerous product enhancements that made them more valuable to farmers and increased dealer-customer profitability.

With Fanger’s appointment in 1991 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Unverferth continued to develop new products. Throughout the ‘90s, he focused on expanding the hiring and training of a direct-sales force across North America.

Fanger’s innovative marketing and managerial abilities have helped the company prosper in both up and down markets. Innovations, such as a dedicated dealer program, have helped the company gain market share and maintain a competitive edge. Raising the level of partnerships with vendors has further positioned the company as a leader in implement manufacturing and technology.

Fanger is a dedicated member of NAMA, actively participating in chapter events as well as encouraging others to be a part of the program. During his time as a member several of his staff have served as chapter presidents and assisted at the national level.

Agribusiness, NAMA

FMC in the Biologicals Market

Cindy Zimmerman February 23, 2016

Biological controls are the new frontier in crop protection and FMC Corporation has made a strong commitment to expand its portfolio in that arena.

“We’ve got a number of projects in play right now that are biological controls,” said FMC portfolio manager Rick Ekins at the National Farm Machinery Show. “This is about expanding the level of control, it’s about changing the modes of action that are applied … there’s just so many directions you can go with biologicals.”

FMC launched Fracture™ last year, its first biological fungicide labeled for the prevention and control of powdery mildew, botrytis and brown rot blossom blight. “That’s specific to fruit and vegetables, grapes and strawberries in particular,” said Ekins. “We’ve had some fantastic performance out of this product…we were really able to provide a product in Fracture that gets you as close to synthetic control as you’re going to get.”

This year’s offerings from FMC in the biological market include Ethos™ XB insecticide/fungicide and Capture® LFR® Insecticide plus VGR™. “Ethos XB contains a biofungicide that colonizes root zones and provides two measures of control,” explains Ekins. “VGR is a soil amendment, it’s allowing that plant to better utilize water. It takes less water with a VGR treatment to grow the same amount of plant.”

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Rick Ekins, FMC on biologicals

2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

and

Audio, Crop Protection, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show

AFBFA Announces First Peas to the Table Contest

Joanna Schroeder February 23, 2016

During the recent Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri, Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell announced the First Peas to the Table Contest. The new national competition, according to Julie Tesch, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, encourages children aged kindergarten through 5th grade to plant, raise and harvest peas this spring.

“It was an honor to have Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell join us in launching the First Peas to the Table Contest,” Tesch said. “We know from experience that getting your hands dirty is the best way for children to learn! Through this contest, we aim to provide fun, hands-on learning opportunities for students across the country.”

The contest ties directly in with the book “First Peas to the Table,” by Susan Grigsby, which won the Foundation’s 2016 Book of the Year. The Foundation created the contest to help students understand the importance of healthy foods and agriculture in their everyday lives, and to increase their understanding of how plants grow.

The student team that grows the greatest amount of peas (measured in cups) using no more than 20 pea seeds during the official contest period will be declared the winner and receive the grand prize – a visit from Cantrell. Peas may be grown in any manner including in a hot house, hoop house, indoor pot, planter or outside garden. The contest runs March 1 – May 16. Click here for the official entry form, guidelines and rules.

In conjunction with the contest, Tesch encourages educators to invite local farmers and ranchers to speak in their classrooms about food production and the importance of agriculture. Contacting your county Farm Bureau office is a good way to find local farmers.

AFBF

CIRB Emerging Leaders Build a Career

Kelly Marshall February 22, 2016

AgWired had the chance to talk with James Konstanty, one of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau’s Emerging Leaders program members, at their recent annual meeting. The program, now in it’s pilot year, did a great job giving the participants an understanding of the background of crop insurance, Konstanty tells Chuck Zimmerman. The group traveled to Kansas City and Washington D.C., met with many groups and talked with leaders in the industry.

But for professionals already attacking their jobs with enthusiasm, how does understanding crop insurance affect their career?

“It is mostly about seeing how crop insurance got to where it is today,” Konstanty says. “All the work that it has taken to get it to this place today and how you really have to support that effort going forward because, since it is government program it can be attacked from all sides. And so I think we have a good thing going here and it is really of value to the farmer and want to make sure it doesn’t get taken away.”

Konstanty says the experience helped him really see that crop insurance is a great business, well-thoughtout to help growers overcome a myriad of obstacles to keep on farming. Learning about the public/private relationship and seeing how well developed, not just accidentally evolved, the program was designed to be helps him appreciate the work he is doing.

Hear more about the program in Chuck’s interview here: James Konstanty, CIRB Emerging Leaders Program

2016 CIRB Annual Meeting Photos

CIRB, Insurance

Kenna Lewis Earns Top Honors at YF&R

Kelly Marshall February 22, 2016

Kenna Lewis, a senior at Cal Poly San Lois Obispo, was named the American Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Collegiate Discussion Meet winner. The meet, designed to simulate a committee meeting to exchange ideas and find solutions to a topic of concern to agriculture, was held last week at the #ShowMeYFR Annual Leadership Conference.

Lewis is currently working towards a degree in agricultural communication. Her success has earned her a $2,500 scholarship from the competition sponsor, CHS Foundation.

In addition to Lewis, three finalists participated in three rounds of discussion before making it to the Final Four round. Finalists were Tanner Beymer, University of Idaho; Kole Kelley, Adams University; and Kelly Wilfert, University of Wisconsin-Madison. They each received $1,000 courtesy of CHS Foundation.

Fifty competitors from 35 states participated in this year’s AFBF Collegiate Discussion Meet. All competitors received $250, courtesy of CHS Foundation, in recognition of their efforts and making it to the national level.

Before being announced the winner Lewis took part in four rounds of the discussion meet. The final discussion centered around the topic of protecting a farmer’s ability to access new technology while ensuring public acceptance and encouraging innovation.

AFBF, Ag Groups

PERC Offers Propane Farm Incentive Program

Kelly Marshall February 22, 2016

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) announces the release of the 2016 Propane Farm Incentive Program. This nationwide research and demonstration provides farmers with purchase incentives of up to $5,000 toward new propane-powered farm equipment.

Sponsored by PERC, the 2016 Propane Farm Incentive Program offers incentives of $300 per liter of engine displacement for irrigation engines, $30 per kilowatt for prime power propane generators, and 10 cents per square foot for propane-powered agricultural heating systems. The incentive program helps offset the upfront costs of new agriculture equipment in exchange for real-world performance data and customer feedback.

“New generation propane-powered farm equipment is extremely efficient, reliable, and cost-effective,” said Cinch Munson, Director of Agriculture Business Development at PERC. “The Propane Farm Incentive Program helps farmers experience the many benefits of propane equipment first-hand, while providing us with valuable information to continue to improve new propane technology.”

The 2014 program resulted in 40 percent reduction in fuel costs by changing over to propane-powered irrigation engines and created 20 percent fewer emissions versus gasoline engines.

Apply online or to see a list of eligible equipment, please visit www.propane.com/farmincentive.

Agribusiness, Energy, Propane

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