Emerging CIRB Leaders Build Future of Crop Insurance

Kelly Marshall February 12, 2016

Sheri Bane kicked off the 2016 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting with her opening remarks. When Chuck Zimmerman caught up with her later he was able to learn more about the organizations first year with the Emerging Leaders Program.

“We had company representatives nominate up and coming leaders within their organizations,” Bane explains. “Those six people began the program late last year. They came to Washington D.C., they visited with legislative offices. They have been in what we call the bowels of the RMA, the NCIS, all the places where they can really learn what makes crop insurance run and how the processes work and how the interaction between the government and the private companies play out.”

Like farmers, the demographics of the crop insurance business is nearing retirement. Members who have been navigating the politics since the inception of crop insurance are now focusing on passing along their knowledge to a new generation. The young, fresh energy is what CIRB is looking for, Bane says, to build the relationships with the people in the agriculture offices who will be moving around D.C. as their own careers grow. These connections will be valuable.

Bane encourages crop insurance companies to nominate new faces for the next round of the program. Participants take part in trips and meetings usually reserved for employees who have worked their way up in the company, but these opportunities allow the transfer of knowledge in a small industry.

You can hear more about the program in Chuck’s interview here: Interview with Sheri Bane, COUNTY Financial and CIRB Chair

2016 CIRB Annual Meeting Photos

Insurance, politics

WOTUS Strikes Back

Kelly Marshall February 12, 2016

Farmers and ranchers will need the force to be with them as the EPA has struck back with an even more extreme version of the Waters of the U.S. Rule. Known as the Chesapeake Blueprint, the new rules will severely regulate and burden farms, possibly removing thousands of acres from production agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is once again assembling their rebel strike team and has released a new Star Wars themed video explaining the controversial Blueprint.

Farm Bureau has asked the Supreme Court to review the Blueprint. They are expected to hear the case on Friday, February 19.

Ag Groups, EPA, Water

AEM Ag Chair at #NFMS16

Cindy Zimmerman February 12, 2016

Jim Walker with CASE IH, who serves as chairman of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Ag Sector board, talked about what he expects for the future of the industry during an Ag Executive Outlook panel at the National Farm Machinery Show this week.

Walker says increasing profitability with precision will be key. “Really the technology of precision farming is working with the input people, working with the manufacturers, and tying all that together is what’s going to drive more profit per acre,” he said. As in many industrial sectors, Walker notes that technology moves faster than “hard iron” – “So we have to be able to rely on the experts in the technology field that’s evolving daily and be able to adapt it to our products.”

Coming up quickly after NFMS is Commodity Classic, and this will be the first time AEM’s AgConnect will be part of the show. “We love the affiliation with Commodity Classic because it’s one of the few shows that’s really centered around the end user, geared toward the betterment of the producer,” said Walker. “We think we add value and we’re hoping we attract a wider clientele for Commodity Classic.”

Listen to my interview with Jim here: Interview with AEM Ag Chair Jim Walker, CASE IH

2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

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AEM, Audio, Commodity Classic, NFMS, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Farm Income & Land Values Fall in Midwest, Midsouth

Kelly Marshall February 12, 2016

The fourth quarter of 2015 continued to show a decline in farm income through the Midwest and Midsouth. The survey, conducted by the Agricultural Finance Monitor and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, was comprised of responses from agricultural banks in the boundaries of the Eight Federal Reserve District. That area includes all or part of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

The value of quality farmland, ranchland or pastureland also declined during this period.

During the fourth quarter, bankers reported a continued drop in farm income compared with the same period a year ago. Based on a diffusion index methodology with a base of 100 (results above 100 indicate proportionately higher income compared with the same quarter a year earlier; results lower than 100 indicate lower income), the farm income index value was 28. This was the sixth consecutive quarter that this value fell below 100, and the lowest level recorded since the survey began in 2012. Looking ahead at the first quarter of 2016, an even greater percentage of bankers indicated they expect income to continue to decline.

Amid the ongoing downturn in farm income, farmers and ranchers continued to scale back spending in the fourth quarter of 2015. Values for the index for household spending and the index for farm capital equipment expenditures again fell to their lowest levels since the survey began in 2012. Bankers expect expenditures in both categories to continue to decline in early 2016.

“Crop and cattle prices are down, but input costs are rising at a slower pace, a Kentucky lender said. “I expect capital expenditures to decrease along with devaluation in farm real estate.”

Quality farmland saw a decline of 2.5 precent compared to 2014. Ranchland or pastureland fell 5.3 percent. Most bankers reported that they expect land prices to continue to fall in 2016. At the same time cash rent for farmland dropped 9.5 percent but cash rent for pastureland rose by 8.6 percent. Bankers also believe cash rent for both land types will decline in the near future.

Regarding farmland returns and sales, 77 percent of the lenders said they expect a slightly positive return on farmland for landowners in their regions of up to 5 percent. Thirteen percent of the lenders expected higher returns of 5 to 10 percent, but 10 percent were looking at a negative return.

Investors were more divided when it came to their expectation of the volume of land sales in 2016. Nearly half forecast no change, 31 percent look for sales volume to increase and 22 percent felt land sale opportunities would decrease.

The final question posed to bankers was in regards to the amount of farmland they saw being purchased by farmers. A majority of lenders reported that more than 50 percent of the buyers were farmers in their area.

Agribusiness

New Holland Ag Introduces PLM RTK+

Lizzy Schultz February 11, 2016

During this week’s National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, New Holland formally introduced the PLM RTK+ correction program, the first cellular-delivered RTK correction signal on the market, and several representatives were on-hand to discuss the diverse array of features and benefits this technology will offer producers across North America.

“The big idea is that as our farmers and producers are spreading out more and more, they want to have a correction signal that goes with them everywhere they go,” said Luke Zerby, PLM Marketing Manager for New Holland, during an interview at the 2016 National Farm Machinery Show. “This is a signal service that we’re going to have here, the first major OAM in North America that can offer it, that will have complete coverage across North America.”

This system is the most advanced of its kind, using a cellular signal that allows the signal to be spread much further than traditional radio RTK systems. The signal is available and consistent with sub-inch accuracy anywhere within the network.

Once fully rolled-out, customers will be able receive correction signals from Northern Canada to the southernmost parts of Texas, as well as coast-to-coast across the US, as long as cellular data signals are available with a signal subscription.

“It’s hard to keep a continuously accurate radio frequency on an operation, and with obstacles like mountains, trees, and buildings in the way, you would lose a direct line of sight with a continuous radio signal,” said Zerby, “But with a cellular signal you won’t have that, you’ll have a continuous signal throughout.”

RTK+ launched last week to the dealer body, and interested customers are encouraged to contact their local dealers for more information about the technology and how to subscribe.

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Luke here:
Interview with Luke Zerby, New Holland

View and download photos here: 2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

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Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment, New Holland, NFMS, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Thanks New Holland for the Bird’s Eye View

Jamie Johansen February 11, 2016

For the best view at National Farm Machinery Show, America’s largest indoor farm show, you must climb high. For this opportunity I turned to our friends at New Holland Agriculture. J. Cole Sanford, New Holland product specialist, climbed their CR6.80 combine with me to share the latest on the new model launched late last year.

“The smaller machine really goes after the mixed farmer market. If you are a producer with a livestock operation and still running some cash grain, this is the machine for you. It comes in at about 325 horsepower and boosts up to 378. This can serve as a replacement for the CR9040 that we had in the previous model years.”

I dubbed J. Cole the combine nerd. You can’t hide his enthusiasm for the equipment and as he chats with attendees they can glean information from him and shear joy for the machines capabilities.

2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

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Agribusiness, Farm Machinery, New Holland, NFMS, Video

Preview of CIRB Annual Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman February 11, 2016

Leaders in the crop insurance business are gathered in California for the annual meeting of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau. To get a preview before the activities started I spoke with Michael Torrey, Michael Torrey Associates. His company represents and manages CIRB.

Before looking ahead Michael talks about the challenging last year for the industry when critics were trying to create changes in the crop insurance program. He expects that effort to continue this year. So on the program will be presentations about the political climate in this election year, the climate itself and economic challenges facing the world ag market.

Michael says we’ll have an opportunity to meet members of the CIRB Emerging Leaders Program. This program was introduced last year and the first graduates will be with us. This is CIRB’s effort to bring younger people into the industry which like farming itself is being led by an aging demographic.

You can listen to my interview with Michael here: Interview with Michael Torrey, CIRB

You can find photos from the CIRB annual meeting here: 2016 CIRB Annual Meeting Photos

Ag Groups, Audio, CIRB

Top Equipment Manufacturer Issues at #NFMS16

Jamie Johansen February 11, 2016

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted an Ag Executive Outlook panel during the opening day of the 2016 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. AEM’s Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, Nick Yaksich, sat on the panel and hit on key policy issues impacting the ag equipment industry.

Yaksich mention the Renewable Fuel Standard first and its role in building demand. “There are great opportunities with corn ethanol and beyond,” he said. “There is a push from the oil industry to fight back and repeal that. On the top of our list is to maintain what the government has put into law.”

Another major policy issue for AEM is government regulations. “The fear of whether it’s Waters of the United States or emissions, there has to be an understanding and balance without harming the economy with regulations,” said Yaksich.

Industry executives on the panel included Todd Stucke with Kubota, Leif Magnusson of CLAAS Global Sales Americas, Jim Walker with Case IH NAFTA, and Great Plains Manufacturing president Linda Salem who each gave their perspectives on industry issues.

When it comes to policy, Yaksich made it clear that the results of this year’s presidential election will be significant. “It is critical for people to be involved early so when whoever is elected, the agricultural community is well represented on day one,” he said.

AEM stresses industry involvement in policy issues with the I Make America campaign, which is dedicated to advocating for policies that strengthen their industry and economic vitality. “The key is grassroots involvement by voting members,” said Yaksich. “We started the I Make America campaign to reach beyond the corporate CEOs.” The campaign is in its fourth year and is equipped with a mobile marketing tour featuring a video game component to reach different groups within companies.

Listen to my complete interview with Nick here: Interview with Nick Yaksich, AEM

2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

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AEM, Audio, Equipment, NFMS

Mud Pie

Melissa Sandfort February 11, 2016

Today Aunt Jeanette writes:

When I was a little girl, making mud pies was great fun! They were flavor-enhanced with gravel, twigs and leaves. I baked them in the sweltering sun on an old, discarded board until they were a delicious slate gray.

However, finding a newly born mud pie in the dead of winter, treading water, and trying to keep his little nose above that same water is NOT fun! That is exactly what Dan found one evening a couple of weeks ago.

Dan and I had planned to go to our school’s production of “Miss Nelson is Missing” when I had a phone call from our son. “Get all the sheets and towels ready. I am bringing a calf in.” By the time I rounded up all the old sheets and towels, he was through the kitchen door with a mud-covered, half-dead calf. Darren didn’t hold out much hope for the calf, but I do not give up easily. I put him on a sheet, which was immediately covered with mud. I sat down beside him and started rubbing with the towels. It didn’t take long for them to become mud-soaked, either. And, as you can imagine, I was also covered with mud, clear down to my fingernails. I pulled his little head into my lap and we had a long talk.

Well, he kept flopping his head back and I kept pulling it up. He started kicking a little and I had a glimmer of hope. “Involuntary muscle spasms,” they told me. “Don’t get your hopes up.” Well, I did anyway.

After several hours of rubbing, using my blow dryer to warm him up, and telling him he would survive, he did just that. Dan was finally able to take him out to the barn later that night, and the next morning he found him standing up. I regret not taking a picture of the little mud pie in my kitchen, but this is the picture Dan took the following morning.

We never did get to the play, and it took quite a while to clean my kitchen and me, but we do have a nice, healthy calf! Before too much longer Mud Pie will be baking in the summer sun!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

#NFMS16 is Big Show for FMC

Cindy Zimmerman February 10, 2016

Even though it’s called the National Farm Machinery Show and equipment is king, the people who provide the products for planters to plant and sprayers to spray also have a place at the show.

FMC Corporation has carved out a nice niche for itself at NFMS, sponsoring the media room and exhibitor lanyards, and having a premium exhibit space right inside the main door and across from New Holland. This year some of the products they are highlighting are Ethos™ XB Insecticide/Fungicide, Capture® LFR® Insecticide + VGR™ Soil Amendment and recently released Preemptor™SC Fungicide.

Nick Hustedde, FMC Technical Services, says the combination of strobilurin and triazole chemistries in Preemptor SC is a good fit for growers in a resistance management strategy. “We saw the challenges that growers were experiencing and we were able to acquire an active ingredient on several pathogens that are developing resistance,” said Hustedde. “The triazole component has very long residual activity so it does allow us to apply it with a herbicide application.”

In this interview, Hustedde talks about the how Preemptor SC performed in trials last year, which was a wet year that was very conducive for pathogens like frog eye leaf spot in soybeans and rust and grey leaf spot in corn. Interview with Nick Hustedde, FMC Corp.

2016 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

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Agribusiness, Audio, FMC, NFMS

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