GAO Says EPA Violated Law with WOTUS

Cindy Zimmerman December 14, 2015

In a legal opinion released on Monday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “violated publicity or propaganda and anti-lobbying provisions contained in appropriations acts with its use of certain social media platforms in association with its Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking.”

According to the GAO:

Specifically, EPA violated the publicity or propaganda prohibition though its use of a platform known as Thunderclap that allows a single message to be shared across multiple Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts at the same time. EPA engaged in covert propaganda when the agency did not identify EPA’s role as the creator of the Thunderclap message to the target audience. The agency’s #DitchtheMyth and #CleanWaterRules social media campaigns did not implicate the publicity or propaganda prohibition. EPA also violated anti-lobbying provisions though its hyperlinks to certain external Web pages in an EPA blog post. Both of the external Web pages led to appeals to the public to contact Congress in support of the WOTUS rule, which taken in context, constituted appeals to contact Congress in opposition to pending legislation. EPA associated itself with these messages through its decision to include the hyperlinks in its blog post.

“It’s clear from this report that EPA orchestrated this matter in a biased fashion,” said American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Bob Stallman in a statement. “Courts already have declared serious doubts about the legal authority for the rule. Now that it has become clear that the agency used illegal tactics to manufacture ill-informed support for the rule, Congress should act immediately to prohibit implementation of this rule, which is the product of an unlawful and misguided process.”

The GAO investigation was conducted at the request of Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK).

AFBF, EPA, Water

UAS Registration Required By FAA Starting Dec 21

Taylor Truckey December 14, 2015

Today the FAA announced new regulations requiring drone (UAS) registration for recreational and hobby users of UAS. The registration process is for owners of small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, including payloads such as on-board cameras or sensors.

Those 13 and older who have purchased a drone prior to December 21, 2015, must register no later than February 19, 2016. Owners of any UAS purchased after December 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. The registration is valid for three years. The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days (from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016).

“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

According to this study released on Friday, of the 927 incidents recorded, 327 between December 2013 and September 2015 posed proximity dangers. This occurs when an UAS gets within 500 feet of a plane or helicopter OR when a pilot deems a drone as too close and dangerous. The FAA prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft within 5 miles of any airport within the U.S. without permission from air traffic control. One in every five of these incidents occurred within a “no-drone zone” at an airport.

“UAS have important applications for agriculture, and we need rules and regulations that will put this technology in farmers’ hands. The National Corn Growers Association has taken a leadership role on this issue from the beginning, working with the UAS industry, federal regulators, and others to find a way forward. Let’s continue to work together on common-sense rules that create a culture of safety and responsibility, while ensuring farmers have the access, tools, and training to take full advantage of UAS technology,” said Chip Bowling, President of NCGA.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS.

Owners may register through a web-based system at www.faa.gov/uas/registration.

Ag Groups, Agronomy, NCGA

LibertyLink Real Yield Game Winner

Chuck Zimmerman December 14, 2015

Farmers are already winning by playing the Bayer CropScience LibertyLink Real Yield Game.

I spoke with winner Dane Kief, Rankin, IL and asked him how he learned about the LibertyLink Real Yield Game. He said, “Like a lot of other farmers I spend a lot of time on Twitter. I was just kind of scrolling through and saw it.”

Dane has won a year’s supply of LibertyLink Soybeans and Liberty Herbicide. I asked him about his plans for using his winnings. He says that coincidentally just days before he won he was talking with his Bayer CropScience representative about trying some LibertyLink soybeans. He plans to “go all Liberty” in the coming season. He also recommends playing the game!

Listen to Illinois farmer Dane Kief here: Interview with LibertyLink winner Dane Kief of Illinois

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Herbicide, Soybean

Notter Discusses Millennials at #ARA15

Taylor Truckey December 14, 2015

While at ARA, Jamie Notter, Culture That Works, gave a presentation on organizational culture to the retailers attending. He specifically spoke about the value in attracting millennials and how to build a successful working relationship with them as most management teams have an older management style that millennials don’t relate to.

Attracting millennials as employees or customers is less about pandering to their needs, but more about doing it in a way that makes sense to them. Millennials relate largely to company culture and the feel of a company.

“One of the interesting things we did in our research was look at millennials and at organizations that were succeeding. Then we looked for the overlap. We found it in organizations that were made up mostly of boomers and Xers. These companies were not designed for millennials, but they were running circles around competitors.”

Why were companies largely made up of older generations succeeding at bringing in millennials and building a strong successful company? These companies had been designed to meet the needs of employees, and they attracted the right people across all generations because of that. Millennials are put off by companies that don’t have their culture decided or an evident, clear company culture.

“The number one thing that everyone needs to do right now is be intentional and clear about your company culture. It wasn’t important to older generations. The research I saw said that 77% of millenials think culture is as or more important than money in a job. You can choose to be weak on culture, but you are choosing to be behind your competitors.”

When Millennials take over, Notter’s book, is available on Amazon or on CultureThatWorks.net

Hear more from Jamie in the full interview. Jamie Notter, Culture That Works

2015 Agricultural Retailers Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, ARA

Outstanding Career Award at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 14, 2015

A giant in the plant breeding and genetics world was honored by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) during the CSS 2015 and Seed Expo last week in Chicago.

Donn Cummings retired from Monsanto after 30 years as a corn plant breeder, spending the last eight years of his career developing and recruiting the next generation of plant breeders. “This is very humbling, very special and unexpected,” said Cummings in accepting the award. “I appreciate the chance to serve this society as well as Monsanto over the years. It’s been a blast and I’m just glad to be here again this year.”

Cummings was a Monsanto Scientific Fellow and holds ten inbred patents while contributing parent lines for many commercial corn hybrids. His inbreds have been used in hybrid development in a number of countries including Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and South Africa.

ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne says Cummings is a role model in the plant breeding community. “We’re going to miss him, but we hope he enjoys his retirement and still comes back to join us at this meeting,” said LaVigne.

ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Photo Album

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Coverage of CSS 2015 and Seed Expo brought to you by BASF Ag Products

ASTA, Corn, Seed

John Deere Visits Ag Retailers

Chuck Zimmerman December 14, 2015

Here’s the John Deere team at the Agriculture Retailers Association conference. Pictured on the right is Chad Brusveen, Corporate business manager. I spoke with him about the ag economy and the future of precision ag.

John Deere is a sponsor of ARA and Brusveen highlighted his companies commitment to the application business, to technology and equipment. And it is a testament to precision agriculture, he notes, that the ARA booths were full, even in the down economy.

Of course, John Deere is no stranger to tough times. But the future of the company is bright.

“We think the fundamentals are strong,” Brusveen asserts. “You look at the demand for food, fiber and fuel, and we’ve been in this business for 178 years and know that through these times– it’s a cyclical business. Usually we keep investing through those downward cycles and hope to come out even stronger on the upswing.”

Learn more about John Deere’s outlook in the full interview. Chad Brusveen, Corporate Business Manger, John Deere

2015 Agricultural Retailers Conference & Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, ARA, Audio, John Deere

#ASTACSS is Major League for @BASFAgProducts

Cindy Zimmerman December 14, 2015

BASF hit a home run at the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo last week by featuring “The Big Hurt” at their hospitality suite with the theme “Champions of Innovation and Collaboration.”

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Frank Thomas, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year, is the only player in major league history to have seven consecutive seasons with a .300 batting average, and in 2005 he helped the White Sox win their first World Series title in 88 years. The Big Hurt posed for photos and signed baseballs for hundreds of attendees during BASF’s event at CSS/Seed Expo.

Since BASF has an impressive product portfolio of seed solutions with more coming down the road, the ASTA CSS/Seed Expo with nearly 3000 industry attendees was major league meeting for the company.

“BASF is in this seed solutions business for the long term,” said BASF Global Seed Solutions marketing director Mike Hofer. “We have over 20 new products in the next five years that we’ll be introducing globally. Some of those include biologicals, but we also have innovations in the coatings, as well as the inoculant area.”

Hofer says this segment of the industry is one that BASF has become very focused on since the acquisition of Becker Underwood at this very meeting in 2012. “That’s something that really propelled us and really brought a lot of expertise into BASF to meet that part around the coatings and biologicals to work together with the chemistry,” said Hofer.

Learn more about how BASF is a champion for innovation and collaboration in this interview: Interview with Mike Hofer, BASF

ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Photo Album

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ASTA, Audio, BASF, Seed

Communications Key Focus at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 14, 2015

Communications was a key focus at the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo last week, from within the industry to key stakeholders to lawmakers to the general public.

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) First Vice Chair Mark Herrmann of Monsanto says communications will continue to be a priority for the organization moving into 2016. “Some of the key focus is how do we have policy and regulations for all seed companies to operate,” said Herrmann. “If we can share the key points of view and make sure decisions are made with a good view of the impact it will have.”

Herrmann says ASTA’s First the Seed initiative is helping to spread the word about the importance of the seed industry. “The program focuses on education in schools with some really fun projects to help children understand how seed plays a key role,” he said.

Within the industry, ASTA has communications initiatives such as the Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship and outreach to the next generation of seed industry professionals with the Future Seed Executives (FuSE).

Herrmann notes that ASTA has some 700 members, including nearly 90% of the industry, and he is grateful for the active participation of those members who help make the organization so successful. “To run the association, you really need members who are willing to commit both work and financial support,” he said. “I’d like to thank every member, large or small.”

Listen to my interview with Mark here: Interview with ASTA First Vice Chair Mark Herrmann

ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Photo Album

Coverage of CSS 2015 and Seed Expo brought to you by

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ASTA, Audio, Seed

New Officer Team for American Soybean Association

John Davis December 14, 2015

Soybean growers have some new leadership. This news release from the American Soybean Association (ASA) says the group at its annual winter meeting in St. Louis installed Richard Wilkins, a farmer from Greenwood, Delaware, as president of the ASA, along with outgoing president Wade Cowan from Brownfield, Texas, moving to the position of chairman of the ASA board, and Ron Moore of Roseville, Illinois, elected to serve as vice president.

“I’m honored to serve as president of this wonderful team of farmers, and I’m excited to move forward with what is a very full agenda for the year,” said Wilkins.

“Richard is a smart leader who has a great purchase on how our industry can engage with our partners in other walks of agriculture to make sure we’re all successful,” said ASA CEO Steve Censky.

With his election as vice president, Moore is now in line to be the association’s president in 2016.

“These are an extremely important next few years for our industry,” said Moore. “The soybean industry and agriculture as a whole will need continuity and strength in its leadership, and I’m excited to continue that here at ASA.”

Also elected to form ASA’s nine-member governing committee were Secretary John Heisdorffer from Keota, Iowa; and At-Large Governing Board Members Bret Davis of Delaware, Ohio, Kevin Hoyer of West Salem, Wisc., Kevin Scott of Valley Springs, S.D., and Sam Butler of New Hope, Ala.. Current Treasurer Davie Stephens of Wingo, Ky., was elected to serve a second term in the same position.

Outgoing ASA chairman Ray Gaesser of Corning, Iowa, remains on the ASA board for the remainder of his term as director. Those board members retiring include former president Steve Wellman of Nebraska, former treasurer Bob Henry of Kansas, and directors Dennis Bogaards of Iowa, John Rivers of South Carolina and Walter Godwin of Georgia.

New members include Charles Atkinson of Kansas, Cliff Barron of South Carolina, Ken Boswell of Nebraska, and Dean Coleman of Iowa. The meeting also represents the first ASA meeting for directors Pam Snelson of Oklahoma, and Steve Yoder, Jr., of Florida.

Ag Groups, ASA, Soybean

Ag Secretary Comments on Climate Accord

Cindy Zimmerman December 14, 2015

As the announcement came over the weekend that negotiators from nearly 200 countries had approved a landmark climate accord, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack commented on what the deal means for our nation’s farmers and ranchers.

“The historic COP21 deal supports a better-nourished, stable, secure future for the United States and every nation,” Vilsack said in a statement. “The benchmarks outlined in the deal build on the ambitious climate smart strategy being implemented by U.S. farmers, ranchers and foresters in partnership with USDA and the Obama Administration. Our efforts to boost productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and share best practices with counterparts around the world will help to address climate change and improve global resilience while continuing to meet global demand for food, fiber and fuel.”

The long-term objective of the Paris agreement, which is scheduled to be implemented in 2020, is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement is based on voluntary pledges and does not need to be ratified by Congress.

International, USDA

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