RFA Ethanol Podcast

Precision Ag News 4/17

Carrie Muehling

  • Nestlé Purina is investing in farmer adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the company’s corn and soy supply chains through a new partnership with Cargill, one of the largest ingredient and agricultural solutions companies in the U.S. This work will support soil health and reduce the carbon footprint for Purina dry pet food products across North America, contributing to a more sustainable future for people and their pets.
  • Get ready for an extraordinary journey through Arkansas’s vibrant agricultural landscape at the 17th Annual Conservation in Action Tour, taking place on June 10-11, 2024! The esteemed keynote speaker for this year’s tour is Carolyn Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Mississippi Minority Farmers Alliance, (MMFA). For more information and to register, visit here.
  • John Deere, with the help of quarterback Brock Purdy, launched an epic hunt for the company’s first-ever Chief Tractor Officer (CTO) — a witty and charismatic content creator ready to help the iconic American brand celebrate farmers, contractors, groundskeepers, and brand fans. To apply, candidates must submit a short-form video with their pitch for the position, showing the creativity, humor, and passion they’d bring to the job. Candidates are also encouraged to publish their entries to TikTok and/or Instagram tagging @JohnDeere.
  • Biolevel and My Yield announced that My Yield will distribute Biolevel bionutrition products for use in My Yield’s customized treatment solutions. The partnership expands the availability of Biolevel products to farmers and seed dealers across the U.S.
  • For the second straight month, unit sales of 100+ horsepower ag tractors increased in the U.S., according to the new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). March sales jumped 3.2 percent compared to last year, following February’s increase of 2.8 percent compared to 2023. Total year-to-date unit sales of ag tractors and combines are below 2023’s pace. Tractors are down 13.3 percent while combines fell 20.4 percent.
  • As GROWMARK, Inc. continues to position itself to lead in the digital agronomy space, it has partnered with Intelinair, an ag data analytics company, on a new digital agronomy application to equip its farmer customers with data-driven insights to improve agronomic outcomes throughout the growing season.
  • On April 9th, U.S. and Israeli officials convened at the U.S. National Arboretum for a seminar and dinner reception marking the 45th anniversary of BARD, the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund.
  • Custom Agronomics, a leading provider of private-label liquid plant nutrition and other specialty products for the agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets, announced that Tom Snipes has been appointed CEO.
  • Peterson Genetics, Inc., is pleased to announce that Ben Peterson has been named President of the Company. Mike Peterson continues as the Chief Executive Officer.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Custom Agronomics Acquires BioTek Ag

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Florida-based specialty products company Custom Agronomics has acquired North Carolina-based BioTek Ag to expand its focus on nutrient use efficiency products.

    Custom Agronomics is a formulator and manufacturer of private-label liquid plant nutrition, nutrient use efficiency, and other specialty products for the agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets. BioTek Ag has more than three decades of experience helping farmers improve and protect crop yields with specialized nutrients, nitrogen stabilizers, and other specialty products that improve soil biology and enhance the effectiveness of crop inputs.

    “This acquisition immediately enhances our portfolio of nutrient use efficiency products, expands our footprint, and strengthens our overall team,” said Greg Thompson, chairman of the Custom Agronomics Board of Directors and a senior operating partner at Inverness Graham, a private investment firm that acquires innovative companies where technology is transforming traditional industry. Inverness Graham’s investment in Custom Agronomics is part of its Green Light initiative that invests in businesses where environmental sustainability is a key driver of growth.

    BioTek Ag will become part of Custom Agronomics. Financial terms of the deal are confidential.

    Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Fertilizer, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Soil

    Golden Harvest Corn Still Growing Strong

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With corn planting underway now across the Midwest, there are likely quite a few Golden Harvest hybrids going in the ground after a successful 2023.

    “Golden Harvest has made a lot of innovation over the past 50 years,” said Rex Gray, Golden Harvest Corn Product Manager, at the recent Commodity Classic. “Over the past two years we’ve brought 39 new products to the market.”

    Gray said they are excited to launch Enogen DuracadeViptera™ this year. “That’s something farmers have told us they wanted and needed for a some time,” he said.

    Learn more in this interview about the 50 year legacy of Golden Harvest.
    Classic24 Rex Gray, Golden Harvest/GHX 4:08

    2024 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Golden Harvest, Seed, Syngenta

    Animal Ag News 4/15

    Carrie Muehling

  • Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was found in a South Dakota dairy herd last week, becoming the eighth state with HPAI-infected dairy cows. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s HPAI website now shows a total of 26 detections, in Texas (11), New Mexico (6), Kansas (3), Michigan (2), Idaho (1), Ohio (1), North Carolina (1), and South Dakota (1).
  • The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) expressed disappointment in the final rule released to update the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which maintained the proposed rule’s cuts to dairy in the WIC food packages.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit will feature panelists from Protect the Harvest, American Kennel Club, and CloverLeaf Animal Welfare Systems who will share their experience navigating animal rights activism. The 2024 event, themed “Ready, Set, Solve! Advancing Animal Agriculture,” is set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo.
  • The 2023 Cattlemen’s Beef Board Annual Report is now available. See how the Beef Checkoff utilized your producer dollars to support and strengthen the entire beef industry through research, promotion and education.
  • Managing livestock grazing on federal public lands in a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak will pose unique challenges for ranchers and animal health officials. That is why the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) received USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) funding to work with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and other stakeholders to develop movement decision criteria guidance that addresses the unique scenarios that would arise for federal lands grazers. Resources are now available on the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply and Secure Beef Supply websites under the Public Land Grazing pages.
  • Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association announced it will host its third-annual TSCRA Cattle Raisers Roundup July 22-26 in East Texas. The event is open to high school students who have completed their sophomore through senior years and are interested in gaining knowledge about the beef supply chain, natural resources and other important issues impacting agriculture. Cattle Raisers Roundup will include tours at cattle operation and beef packing plants, as well as the opportunity to speak with industry leaders. The program is structured to allow for practical application of everyday activities of those who buy, sell, produce and rely on beef protein. Applications are due May 1 and are available at tscra.org/what-we-do/students/.
  • King Ranch, Inc. announced that it has acquired a 50% stake in Cobalt Cattle, the nation’s fourth-largest cattle feeding operation with six feedyards in Colorado, Kansas and Texas.
  • The Milk Cup launched April 10th as part of Gonna Need Milk’s efforts to connect with Gen Z. Gonna Need Milk’s inaugural gaming activation at Vidcon Anaheim featured a creator competition that streamed on Twitch’s front page, and the organization is committed to maintaining the momentum through this groundbreaking tournament.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is accepting applications for the 2024 Clean Water Awards. The awards recognize outstanding performance of wastewater treatment plants that operate at poultry and egg processing facilities. Winners will be announced at USPOULTRY’s Environmental Management Seminar to be held Sept. 19 – 20, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida.
  • Advancement and change continue at a rapid pace in today’s poultry industry. As increasing automation and new management techniques occur, the poultry processing plant feels the impact perhaps more than any other operation in the company. Throw in labor challenges and talent development, and managing the plant becomes more complicated day by day. Learn about ways to overcome these challenges and increase efficiency and effectiveness during USPOULTRY’s 2024 Poultry Processor Workshop that will be held May 15-16, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 4/12

    Carrie Muehling

  • The Food and Agriculture – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC) announced the launch of a new University Partnership Program to drive improved collaboration between the industry and leading universities on a range of security issues impacting America’s food and agriculture sector. The partnership program has launched with four founding collaborators: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, the University of Nebraska, Purdue University and PARI, and Virginia Tech.
  • The Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) just concluded its second annual conference, PBPC2024: Circular Solutions, in Omaha, Nebraska, where industry leaders explored the latest innovations, business models, and policies shaping the lifecycle of plant-based products and advancing a circular economy. Keynote speakers included Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Cooperative Service.
  • American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which sets maximum contaminant levels at 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 10 parts per trillion for PFNA, PFHxS and HFPO-DA.
  • Fifteen farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the spring session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
  • Join the Livestock Publications Council for the April Coffee and Collaboration on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 10 a.m. CT! This session is titled “The Greatest Stories We Ever Told” with Wyatt Bechtel, Broadhead; Megan Silveira, Angus Media; and Kylene Scott, High Plains Journal. This free monthly webinar is moderated by Jennifer Shike and Angie Stump Denton. No registration necessary. It’s open to members and non-members.
  • The Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council proudly announce the 2024 Missouri Corn Scholarship recipients. Each student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to contribute to their college education.
  • Nutrien Ag Solutions recently announced a multi-year commitment of nearly $850,000 to the National FFA Organization (FFA) in support of its commitment to shape future agriculture leaders. The yearly donation of $282,500 supports a variety of National FFA Organization programs and events during the three years (from 2024 to 2026), including supporting FFA members in competitive events, assisting FFA advisors in their professional development, as well as providing National FFA Officers with a $10,000 scholarship at the end of their year of service. In addition, the donations will also support alumni chapter grants.
  • Registration is now open for the Agri-Pulse West Food & Ag Issues Summit on June 4 in Sacramento. Experience a day full of illuminating speeches and panel discussions, an immersion into California agriculture and food issues. Click here for more information and registration.
  • Amid concerning reports that potatoes could be reclassified as grains in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and Congressman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) are leading a bipartisan effort to express opposition to efforts to declassify potatoes as vegetables. In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Pingree, Simpson, and 27 Members of Congress voiced their strong opposition to any reclassification of potatoes, which they say would “call the scientific credibility of the entire process into question.”
  • Yanmar America Corporation has announced its continued sponsorship of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team. Official Partner of the Atlanta Braves Grounds Crew, Yanmar supported the Braves as they met the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 5th, for their Home Opening Day at Truist Park, Atlanta, GA.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    ZimmCast 729 – Preview of the 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    It’s almost time for the 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference that is put on by the National Agri-Marketing Association. ZimmComm will be there to celebrate our 20th anniversary in our Connection Point booth. We’ve got more to come on this when we get to the conference later this month.

    2024 Agri-Marketing ConferenceIn this episode I’m talking with Lori Kruger, Signal Theory, and Chair for the Agri-Marketing Conference committee. We’ll do a preview of what you’ll find.

    In case you haven’t registered it’s easy to go to the NAMA website and get it done.

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 729 - Preview of the 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference (12:14)

    That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast

    Custom Agronomics Appoints New CEO

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Custom Agronomics, a leading provider of private-label liquid plant nutrition and other specialty products for the agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets, announced today that Tom Snipes has been appointed CEO.

    “Tom brings a valuable combination of agricultural experience and business expertise to Custom Agronomics. He has a track record of innovation and growth that will enable us to continue expanding our presence and product line,” said Greg Thompson, chair of Custom Agronomics’ Board of Directors.

    Snipes most recently served as CEO of Plant Response Inc., a global plant biotechnology company specializing in nutrient use efficiency, plant innate immunity and plant physiology. Under his leadership, the company successfully completed substantial fundraising and portfolio expansion and experienced rapid growth as a result of aggressive commercialization efforts and strategic acquisitions. Plant Response was acquired by The Mosaic Company in 2022 and is now part of Mosaic Biosciences.

    “The emphasis on sustainability and improving plant health has presented strong market opportunities for Custom Agronomics. The company is already an industry leader in liquid nutrients and custom formulations, and I’m excited about capitalizing on opportunities to drive its next stage of growth,” Snipes said. Read More

    Agribusiness, Agronomy, Biologicals, Nutrient Management

    Precision Ag News 4/10

    Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture published the second edition of Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity Scale Inventory. The report provides farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners with the methods and tools needed to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of their operations. The 2024 report improves upon the methods outlined in the original 2014 report to increase their accuracy, provides new methods that allow users to better quantify the GHG benefits of additional management practices, and introduces several improvements to make the report more user-friendly.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing its next steps to protect people from the herbicide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA, or Dacthal). EPA is warning people of the significant health risks to pregnant individuals and their developing babies exposed to DCPA and will be pursuing action to address the serious, permanent, and irreversible health risks associated with the pesticide as quickly as possible. EPA has also issued a letter to AMVAC, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, restating the risks the agency found and stating that due to the serious risks posed by DCPA, the agency is pursuing further action to protect workers and others who could be exposed. EPA is taking this rare step of warning farmworkers about these concerns while it works on action to protect workers because of the significant risks the agency has identified.
  • Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed an edible antiviral treatment that can be used to protect honey bees against Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and other viruses, according to a recent study published in Sustainable Agriculture.
  • The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) hosted a successful rollout event for its latest issue paper, “Applications, Benefits, and Challenges of Genome Edited Crops,” at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. The event attracted a diverse audience interested in the future of agriculture and the potential of genome editing technologies.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online by June 15 for the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 11th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
  • The University of Missouri recently held a groundbreaking for the new Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory — the latest core facility in Portageville, Missouri, dedicated to strengthening research support for southeast Missouri producers. This $4.6 million facility will enhance agriculture research programs housed at the center, offering advanced resources for soil, water and plant-tissue testing.
  • AgroLiquid, a leading provider of agricultural crop nutrition products, proudly announces that its biostimulant product, PrimAgro C-Tech, has been awarded a prestigious certification, affirming its adherence to industry-recognized standards for efficacy, safety, and composition. This recognition from The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) marks a significant milestone as PrimAgro C-Tech becomes the inaugural product to receive such acclaim.
  • OPI, the global leader in grain storage management, has debuted a brand-new website customer experience wrapped around the revolutionary OPI Value Escalator.
  • AGCO Corporation, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, announced the launch of PTx, a new brand representing its precision ag portfolio. PTx combines precision ag technologies from the cornerstones of AGCO’s tech stack: Precision Planting and its newest joint venture, PTx Trimble.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Grassley Urges Schumer to Put Farm Bill on the Agenda

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Senate Agriculture Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is calling on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats to put the farm bill on the Senate agenda.

    In a letter to Schumer, Grassley pointed out that of the 17 items Schumer outlined for Senate action, the Farm Bill was missing. Grassley is urging the Majority Leader to hold true to his commitment to seek compromise with Republicans by passing a five-year Farm Bill reauthorization this year.

    “A one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill is going to expire on September 30. The Senate must work to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill before that deadline,” Grassley said. “Farmers across the United States deserve the stability of a new five-year Farm Bill. A one-year extension increases uncertainty in markets and uncertainty for farmers who must make decisions today that will affect their operations for years to come.”

    On this House side, In an exclusive interview with Agri-Pulse this week, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson said he plans to move a bipartisan farm bill through the panel next month and that he has “identified a way to pay for changes to commodity programs that have been sought by ag groups.”

    Grassley talked about the need for a new farm bill in his weekly call with reporters on Tuesday.

    Sen. Grassley press call 4-9-24 16:58

    Audio, Farm Bill

    NCBA Concerned About Loss of USDA Report

    Cindy Zimmerman

    USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced this week that it is canceling the July Cattle report as well as all County Estimates for Crops and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year.

    “The decision to discontinue these surveys and reports was not made lightly, but was necessary, given appropriated budget levels,” NASS said in its official statement.

    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) criticized the decision because the reports “provide critical data and the decision to end them is completely misguided.”

    “It is disingenuous for the same agency which touts its commitment to transparency in livestock markets to arbitrarily cease publication of reports which provide just that. While it may be politically expedient to blame appropriators in Congress for today’s decision, cattle producers know better than to believe discontinuing a handful of reports will result in substantive cost savings for the Department,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA calls on USDA-NASS to immediately reverse this decision and continue delivering on its stated mission of providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.”

    NCBA is urging USDA to reverse the decision. NASS also announced cancellation of the Cotton Objective Yield Survey.

    Beef, Livestock, NCBA