Caucus Results Don’t Seem to Reflect Ag Views

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do Iowa Caucus results reflect ag views?”

The early caucuses may influence some voters, however not the majority of those that took our latest poll. 63% said the Iowa Caucus results don’t reflect their ag views. Ag issues are continually at the forefront of our minds, but few leading candidates have taken to addressing many of those key issues. Let’s hope we hear their take soon.

Here are the poll results:

  • Yes – 13%
  • Not mine – 63%
  • Too early to tell – 16%
  • Don’t know – 4%
  • Other – 4%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, How many farm shows/conferences do you attend?

Farm show and conference season is in full swing and the AgWired team has been out on the agriblogging in full force. Many are located in warmer temps and not only do they provide little mini vacations for farmers and ranchers, but also provide optimal education opportunities and ample time for networking. So, how many do you attend each year?

ZimmPoll

U.S. Wheat Associates Directors Elected

Kelly Marshall

USW boardThe U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors will be under new leadership for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.  The board elected officers at their recent meeting in Washington D.C.  New officers will begin their duties at the board meeting in July in Fargo, North Dakota.

New members include; Chris Kolstad as Secretary-Treasurer, Jason Scott moving from Vice Chair to Chair, and Mike Miller, current Secretary-Treasurer becoming Vice Chairman.  The full board is picture to the right.

“Wheat has paid the bills on my family’s farm for 100 years and I want to thank the board for giving me the opportunity to give something back to this country’s wheat industry,” newly elected member Chris Kolstad said. “I look forward to working with USW’s directors and staff, as well as with the National Association of Wheat Growers, to make sure U.S. wheat remains the world’s top choice for quality and value.”

Kolstad is the fourth generation of his family to farm in Montana’s “Golden Triangle” region. He and his wife Vicki have four children, including their son Cary who is a partner in their operation. They grow hard red winter (HRW) wheat, dark northern spring wheat and durum, plus barley and dry peas.

Jason Scott is a sixth generation wheat farmer from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where he manages his family’s soft red winter (SRW) wheat, row crop and vegetable operation. He also owns and operates a Pioneer Hi-Bred® seed dealership with his father.

Mike Miller is a fourth generation farmer who operates a dryland wheat farm and grows multiple crops on a separate, irrigated farm in east central Washington. He has served on many local, state and national boards, and is in his third term on the Washington Grain Commission and his fifth year as a USW director representing Washington.  

The USW is active in 100 counties managed by 18 state wheat commissions and the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service cost-share programs.

Ag Groups, Wheat

2016 Award Winners Honored by WSSA

Kelly Marshall

wssaThirty members of the Weed Science Society of America have been honored for their contributions to weed science.  The awards program was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the organization’s annual meeting.

“Our annual awards program recognizes the many outstanding scientists who are spearheading innovations and advancing the weed science profession through their research, teaching, publishing and outreach,” said Dallas Peterson, Ph.D., president of WSSA.

This year’s winners include:

Fellow Awards (WSSA’s Highest Recognition): Donn Shilling, Ph.D., University of Georgia, and William K. Vencill, Ph.D., University of Georgia
Outstanding Extension Award: Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Outstanding Teacher Award: Anil Shrestha, Ph.D., California State University, Fresno
Outstanding Research Award: Carol Mallory-Smith, Ph.D., Oregon State University
Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Rodrigo Werle, Ph.D. candidate, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Outstanding Paper Award, Weed Science: Seedbank and Field Emergence of Weeds in Glyphosate Resistant Cropping Systems in the United States Bryan Young, Ph.D., Purdue University, Corresponding Author.
Outstanding Paper Award, Weed Technology: Mesotrione Activity on Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) as Influenced by Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate, Source, and Timing (login required), Leslie Beck, Ph.D., New Mexico State University, corresponding author.
Outstanding Early Career Weed Scientist: Jacob Barney, Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Outstanding Industry Award: Roger Gast, Ph.D., Dow AgroSciences
Outstanding Reviewer Awards: Thomas Mueller, Ph.D., University of Tennessee; Karen Renner, Ph.D., Michigan State University
Public Service Award: Jill Schroeder, Ph.D., USDA/ARS Office of Pest Management Policy
Honorary Member Award: Jose Luis Gonzalez-Anjujar, Ph.D., Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, Spain

To learn more about the winners and their work see the 2016 annual meeting awards program.

Ag Groups, weed management

Crop Insurance Takes Hit in Budget Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

USDAThe Obama administration’s 2017 budget proposal includes reforms to the crop insurance program that would end up costing farmers more.

Two specific changes are proposed – one would reduce subsidies for revenue insurance policies that insure the price at the time of harvest and the second would reform prevented planting coverage, including removing optional buy-up coverage. According to USDA, the two changes would save $18 billion over 10 years.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack saysthe cuts were proposed again this year, after being defeated last year by Congress, in part due to criticism of the prevented planting program in particular. “We also believe, that this is a balanced partnership between taxpayers, farmers and insurance companies,” said Vilsack during a conference call with reporters on the budget. However, he notes that taxpayers are funding around 62% of the premium under some of the programs. “We think it makes more sense in a partnership that it should be closer to 50-50,” he said.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says the budget proposals “are essentially dead on arrival” in Congress. “The President is hitting rural America where it hurts most, and all of this is occurring at a time when farm income is projected to decline 56 percent in the past three years,” said Roberts.

Agricultural organizations say they will fight the proposed cuts. “ With three consecutive negative farm income forecasts, we simply cannot afford to undercut the farm safety net,” said National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson. “NFU urges Congress to reject these crop insurance cuts, as it has in years past.”

“Our policy has always been that we will strongly and absolutely oppose any attempt to target farm bill programs for additional cuts, and it goes without saying that we will continue to fight proposed cuts to the farm safety net,” said American Soybean Association president Richard Wilkins.

Insurance, USDA

Florida Rep. Gwen Graham with Ag Retailers

Cindy Zimmerman

aradc-graham-hartneyOne of the members of Congress who met with leaders of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) last week in Washington DC was Rep. Gwen Graham (D-FL), the daughter of former Florida governor and senator Bob Graham. She is pictured here (left) with Mary Hartney, president of the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association.

Rep. Graham recently completed her first North Florida Farm Tour to highlight agriculture across the 14 counties of the Second Congressional District. “The intent of the tour was to learn and to listen and talk about ways that we can be helpful in Congress,” she said.

Talking with ARA members, Graham discussed issues such as WOTUS and GMO labeling. “I believe that the science backs up GMOS,” said Graham. “There are multiple reasons why I think we need a national standard for GMO labeling.”

Regarding WOTUS, Graham noted that she has a background in environmental law and has major concerns about the rule. “I think we should go back to the drawing board – I have voted against it every time,” she said.

Listen to her interview with Chuck: Interview with Rep. Gwen Graham (D-FL)

ARA, Audio

USDA Awards $20 Million for Citrus Research

Kelly Marshall

USDAThe citrus greening crisis in Florida and across the U.S. is receiving $20.1 million dollars to bring growers closer to a solution.  The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants to university researchers and extension projects working to fight Huanglongbing (HLB) or greening disease.

“Citrus greening has affected more than 75 percent of Florida citrus crops and threatens production all across the United States,” said Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The research and extension projects funded today bring us one step closer to providing growers real tools to fight this disease, from early detection to creating long-term solutions for the industry, producers and workers.”

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program was created to support specialty crop production through research and extension activities.  Since it began in 2014 the USDA has put forward $43.6 million into combating citrus greening disease. The disease has affected the majority of Florida’s citrus-producing areas and affected groves in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas and residential trees in California.

Fiscal year 2015 grants include:

University of California, Riverside, Calif., $3,990,772
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla., $1,975,000
University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $2,800,000
University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $3,999,508
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, N.Y., $1,951,763
New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, N.M., $3,320,000
Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $2,115,000

Research at the University of Florida and Washington State University will focus on growing the putative pathogenic bacterium in artificial culture, which will greatly facilitate research efforts to manage HLB. Another project at the University of Florida will develop morpholino-based bactericides to reduce pathogen transmission and eliminate infections in existing trees. Research at the University of California will use virulence proteins from the pathogen to detect its presence before symptoms appear and to develop strategies for creating citrus rootstocks that are immune to HLB. Information about all of the projects funded this year can be found online.

The Farm Bill mandates that all projects meets the recommendations of the Citrus Disease Subcommittee, which provides an agenda, budget, and consultation with the NIFA.  They will meet February 17-18 in Riverside, California to discuss priorities for 2016.

Research, specialty crops, USDA

Vilsack Discusses 2017 Budget for USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

2017-budgetAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted a national media Tuesday call to discuss the Obama administration’s 2017 budget request for USDA programs.

“Over the past seven years, USDA has made strides in improving the health of our nation’s children, enrolled a record number of privately-owned acres in conservation programs, bolstered the economies and infrastructure of small rural towns, and more,” said Vilsack. “American agriculture and related industries contribute $789 billion to the U.S. GDP and support one in 11 American jobs on and off the farm. The President’s 2017 Budget request aims to ensure USDA’s programs continue to invest in agriculture research and development, target effective strategies to protect our natural resources, and expand markets and economic opportunity for our farmers, ranchers, and the people who call rural America home.”

Listen to Vilsack’s entire call here: Ag Secretary Vilsack on USDA budget

Audio, USDA

GROWMARK with Ag Retailers in DC

Cindy Zimmerman

aradc-gmk-spencerJoining the Agricultural Retailers Association last week in Washington DC was GROWMARK Executive Director for Corporate and Government Relations Chuck Spencer, who joined in legislative visits to discuss key issues for the cooperative and the industry.

Spencer says top legislative priorities for GROWMARK include the labeling issue for genetically modified products. “We need to have a federal standard on genetically modified labeling,” said Spencer. “We’re proposing to have a voluntary system so if individuals want to purchase a GMO-free product, the marketplace can respond much like the national organic standard.”

Government regulation is also a big issue, especially when it comes to the EPA. “We need transparency, consistency and predictability from our regulatory system,” Spencer noted.

Learn more about GROWMARK legislative priorities in this interview: Interview with Chuck Spencer, GROWMARK

ARA, Audio, GMO, GROWMARK

FS HiSOY Soybeans Available for Roundup Ready 2 Xtend

Kelly Marshall

FS HiSOYRoundup Ready 2 Xtend has just been released by Monsanto Company and FS HiSOY Brand Soybeans are ready with 11 new varieties suitable for use with the product.

The new soybeans, ranging from Group 2.0 to 4.9 in maturity, will give growers cutting edge technology, promising superior performance with both dicamba* and glyphosate herbicide tolerance.

Matt Hynes, GROWMARK Seed Sales & Marketing Manager is eager to see the yield opportunity in these soybeans.

“We are excited about the approval of the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean trait and what it will add to the outstanding performance of the FS HiSOY brand! These new genetics will take the HiSOY brand to the next level of superior performance that growers have come to expect,” Hynes says.

You can purchase FS HiSOY Soybeans at FS member companies in the midwest and northeastern states.

*Although Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, the use of dicamba herbicide over the top of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans remains in late stage of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review and is not currently approved by the EPA. Once approved, the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System will offer growers a vital tool for managing tough-to-control and glyphosate-resistant weeds

Agribusiness, Herbicide, Soybean, Technology

Shane Stephens Elected Chair of Cotton Council

Kelly Marshall

Shane Stephens has been elected the National Cotton Council chairman for 2016.  Stephens, from Greenwood, Mississippi, follows Seldge Taylor in the position.  Stephens has long been an active member in the cotton industry, participating in the Cotton Leadership Program from 1994-1995 and serving as president of the alumni association.  He has represented the NCC as vice president from 2007-2012 and sat on the board of directors from 2001-2005 and 2013-2014.  He has been the chair of the Packaging and Distribution and the Membership and Credentials committees as well.

Stephens is vice president of Staplcotn’s cotton services and warehouse divisions. With 11 offices throughout the Mid-South and Southeast, the cotton services division is responsible for recruiting and servicing the cooperative’s grower/members. The warehouse division is responsible for 14 warehouse locations in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Stephens holds a B.S. degree with honors in agricultural economics from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He and his wife, Janet, live in Greenwood, and they have two daughters and one son. They are active members of First Baptist Church in Greenwood.

Other board member for 2016 are: vice chairman, Ronnie Lee; secretary-treasurer, Barry Evans; vice presidents, Robert Lacy, Mike Quinn, and Kent Fountain, with returning vice presidents Calter Paxton, III, Joe Nicosia and David Hastings.

Ag Groups, Cotton