Farm Groups Join Push for Summer E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm organizations joined ethanol groups in a letter calling on President Biden to get ahead of rising fuel costs by authorizing sales of E15 this summer.

National Corn Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union signed the letter, along with the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy, noting that current conditions are similar to last summer when President Biden waived outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15, a move which ended up saving drivers at the pump.

Protecting summer access to E15 would help relieve pressure on U.S. fuel supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering evaporative emissions, and supporting America’s farmers and rural economies, they argued.

“While a permanent solution that would allow E15 sales year-round remains an important necessity, we urge you to take action on a temporary, emergency RVP waiver as soon as possible to remedy current and expected supply challenges resulting from ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” concluded the letter.

AFBF, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

Syngenta Seeds R&D on the Fast Track

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Seeds brands Golden Harvest and NK Seeds are both on track to highlight the speed and precision of their new hybrids and varieties.

Photo courtesy of Sammy Smith

Golden Harvest recently announced its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Sammy Smith. The partnership with Smith is part of Golden Harvest’s 50th anniversary celebration as a seed company, focused on farmer success and reinforcing its commitment to bringing proven corn and soybean products to market faster. Smith is a native of Johnston, Iowa, and already a proven winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The partnership kicked off with the March 25 race in Austin, Texas, and extends throughout the entire 2023 season and includes Golden Harvest® branding on Smith’s car and suit, exclusive at-track activities for Golden Harvest customers, and a special appearance by Smith at a key farmer event later this season. “I am excited to have Golden Harvest partner with me for the 2023 season,” Smith said. “Racing and farming require the same skills ― both need precision and accuracy to perform.”

In addition, NK Seeds this year renewed its partnership with John Force Racing to celebrate speed, precision and power, bringing farmers to the racetrack to watch the NK Seeds logo speed down the track.

Originally signed on two races into the 2022 season, this will be NK Seeds’ first complete season with the legendary team. NK Seeds will continue to be featured on all four John Force Racing hot rods driven by Robert Hight, John Force, Brittany Force, and Austin Prock.

NK Seeds will host VIP events at six races in 2023, including:
• May 19-21, Chicago, Illinois
• June 22-25, Norwalk, Ohio
• Aug. 11-13, Topeka, Kansas
• Sept. 14-17, Reading, Pennsylvania
• Sept. 29-Oct. 1, St. Louis, Missouri

Steve Sterchi, Head of Product Strategy & Business Development for Syngenta Seeds, says the company’s increased investment in R&D is starting to pay off now. “We’ve almost doubled the top of the funnel for what we are able to select from for our new commercial products,” he said during an interview at Commodity Classic. “We’re just now this year opening that 90 acre facility in Malta, Illinois and we’re pretty excited about the innovation that will bring.”

Classic 23 interview with Steve Sterchi, Syngenta Seeds (4:33)

2023 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta

Animal Ag News 4/4

Cindy Zimmerman

  • As of March 1, there were 72.9 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up slightly from March 2022 but down 2% from Dec. 1, 2022, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Of the 72.9 million hogs and pigs, 66.7 million were market hogs, while 6.13 million were kept for breeding. Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 23.4 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 8.90 million head. North Carolina was third with 8.00 million head.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson commended the U.S. Senate for passing a resolution to stop the Biden administration’s latest Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. “Together, we wrote more than 1,900 letters to senators calling for a vote on this resolution. Our advocacy made a crucial impact.”
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) strongly supports legislation introduced by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) to repeal the federal estate tax, commonly referred to as the Death Tax.
  • Vytelle, a precision livestock company, has raised $20MM in Series B funding to accelerate genetic progress in cattle. With this new investment, Vytelle will continue to expand its global operations, while delivering the most accessible, reliable, and predictable reproductive technology available to customers today.
  • R-CALF USA and a coalition of groups representing farmers, the food system, the environment, animal welfare, and antimonopoly advocacy called on Congress to restore accountability and transparency to commodity checkoff programs by supporting inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act (S.557 and H.R.1249) in the 2023 Farm Bill.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) is accepting applications for the 2023 Clean Water Awards. The awards recognize outstanding performance of wastewater treatment plants that operate at poultry and egg processing facilities. The deadline for submitting applications is June 23. Winners will be announced at USPOULTRY’s Environmental Management Seminar to be held Sept. 28 – 29, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture

Special #NAMA23 Rates Extended & Leader Honorees Announced

Chuck Zimmerman

2023 Agri-Marketing ConferenceThe clock’s ticking to save! Register for #NAMA23 by April 10 to take advantage of the early bird special. And reserve your hotel room by the same date to ensure you get the discounted NAMA room block rate.

You can book your room at the Marriott St. Louis Grand online or by calling (314) 621-9600 and mentioning NAMA to get our conference room block price.

Eric BoeckAGRIBUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

The Agribusiness Leader of the Year award recognizes outstanding leadership in private, public or academic service and is conferred each year to a senior executive in agribusiness.

NAMA is proud to announce Eric Boeck, Regional Director North America Syngenta Seeds, as the 2023 Agribusiness Leader of the Year.

Beth BurgyNAMA MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Awarded to an active member of NAMA and recognizes outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing.

Beth Burgy, President and Chief Operating Officer of broadhead is the distinguished recipient of the 2023 NAMA Marketer of the Year Award.

Timothy PriceAG ASSOCIATION LEADER OF THE YEAR

This award recognizes outstanding achievement and excellence among senior executives who have made significant contributions to the agriculture industry in their roles with a trade association or commodity organization.

Timothy L. Price, Executive Vice President, Southern Cotton Ginners Association (SCGA), is NAMA’s 2023 Ag Association Leader of the Year.

NAMA

USDA Under Secretary Discusses Climate Strategies

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie spent an hour with members of the American Coalition for Ethanol last week, answering questions on various climate and conservation topics and stressing the administration’s support for biofuels.

“I hope you know this administration has a strong commitment to ethanol,” Bonnie began. “There’s a lot of alignment between things that can be good for climate, and that can be good for agriculture, and that can create rural jobs, and biofuels is a perfect example of that.”

Bonnie talked about some of what USDA is doing for conservation and the climate, including Climate Smart Commodities projects and incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. “Agricultural productivity itself is a climate strategy,” said Bonnie, who oversees USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Listen to Bonnie’s conversation with ACE members here:
ACE-DC 23 Robert Bonnie, USDA (53:55)

Photos

2023 ACE DC Fly-in Photo Album

Find more audio from the ACE Fly-in here:
ACE Fly-in Virtual Newsroom

ACE, Audio, climate, Conservation, Environment, Ethanol, USDA

Ten IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Chosen for 2023 Award

Cindy Zimmerman

Ten outstanding young agricultural journalists and communicators have been selected as 2023 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders, a prestigious award from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) that recognizes the individuals’ professional skills and leadership potential. The Young Leaders award has been sponsored by Alltech since 2006 to recognize emerging leaders in agricultural journalism and communications from around the world.

The 2023 class of IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders includes:

Eliza Berlage, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia
Bianca Blasi, Bauer to the People, Austria
Anna Falk, HIR Skåne, Sweden
Betty Haynes, Prairie Farmer, USA
Nina Jareño Herrero, Interempresas Media, Spain
Tiietso Manoko, Food for Mzanzi, South Africa
Gifty Hodey Manye, Count on Crops Hub, Ghana
Sofia Selasco, Bichos de Campo, Argentina
Geralyn Wichers, Glacier Farmmedia, Canada
Geraldine Zutter, Schweizer Agrarmedien, Switzerland

“The importance of strong journalism in communicating agriculture’s truth in today’s world cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, President and CEO of Alltech. “We are proud to support the next generation of journalists who are passionate about sharing the real stories of the farm and field, and the men and women who work tirelessly to feed our planet.”

The Young Leaders will be recognized at the 2023 IFAJ World Congress in Olds, Alberta, Canada, in June. They will also participate in a special Boot Camp prior to the congress, which will include leadership and skills training as well as farm visits in Alberta.

Alltech, IFAJ

USDA Releases 2023 Prospective Plantings Report

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2023 Prospective Plantings report finds farmers expect to plant more corn and soybeans this year than last year.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), producers surveyed across the United States intend to plant 92.0 million acres of corn in 2023, up 4% from last year, and 87.5 million acres of soybeans this year, up slightly from last year.

Planted acreage intentions for corn are up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating states. The largest increase is expected in North Dakota, where producers intend to plant 800,000 more acres than in 2022. If realized, the planted area of corn in Arizona and Idaho will be the largest on record. Soybean acreage increases from last year of 100,000 or more are expected in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Record high acreage is expected in Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

In other crops:

All wheat planted area for 2023 is estimated at 49.9 million acres, up 9% from 2022.
Winter wheat planted area, at 37.5 million acres, is up 2% from the previous estimate and up 13% from last year.
Area planted to other spring wheat for 2023 is expected to total 10.6 million acres, down 2% from 2022.
Durum wheat is expected to total 1.78 million acres for 2023, up 9% from last year.
All cotton planted area for 2023 is expected to total 11.3 million acres, 18% below last year.

Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA, Wheat

Industry Ag News 4/4

Cindy Zimmerman

  • The National Agri-Marketing Association announces its top award winners for 2023. Eric Boeck is named NAMA’s Agribusiness Leader of the Year, Beth Burgy is named NAMA Marketer of the Year and Timothy L. Price is named Ag Association Leader of the Year. The three awards are NAMA’s highest honors and will be given at the 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 26–28, 2023, in St. Louis.
  • The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska has announced that Land O’Lakes, Inc. President and CEO Beth Ford will be the featured speaker at the Heuermann Lecture on May 8, part of the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference. The free lecture, sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be held 4:30-6 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive and livestreamed online.
  • Global hunger and malnutrition pose significant threats to U.S. national security, underscoring the need to invest in international agricultural research and development, according to a new report commissioned by Farm Journal Foundation The report, authored by researchers from Texas A&M University, examines how global food insecurity is linked to numerous geopolitical risks, and how increasing investments in agricultural development and innovation would help mitigate these risks by enabling developing countries to improve their crop yields and better feed themselves.
  • Almost three-quarters of Americans say that not reauthorizing the farm bill in 2023 would have a significant impact on the country, according to a new poll from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Nearly 70% of respondents also identified two areas of the farm bill as top priorities for government funding: risk management programs that serve as a safety net for farmers and nutrition programs that serve as a safety net for families facing hunger.
  • On Wednesday, March 22, more than 200 World Food Prize Foundation partners, state leaders and community members gathered at the Hall of Laureates to formally welcome Ambassador Terry Branstad as the Foundation’s new president. Governor Kim Reynolds was also on hand to share her congratulations and declare March 22, 2023 as Norman E. Borlaug and World Food Prize Heritage Day in Iowa.
  • The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) has announced its strategic partnership with Google to increase sorghum consumer awareness through innovative marketing strategies. USCP is a producer-funded national organization dedicated to improving the sorghum industry and representing sorghum farmers across the United States.
  • On April 16, Cotton Incorporated encourages you to wear cotton pajamas to work as part of National Wear Pajamas to Work Day. This year, Cotton Incorporated celebrates 50 years of the Seal of Cotton, the iconic logo that indicates a product contains cotton.
  • The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) combined advocacy with service during their Spring 2023 Washington D.C. fly-in. The Georgia Peanut Commission in conjunction with USPF proudly partnered with Peanut Proud, the peanut industry’s humanitarian relief organization, to donate 10,080 jars of peanut butter to serve the nation’s capital and surrounding area. This donation was made to the Capital Area Food Bank in order to recognize and celebrate National Peanut Month in March.
Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Zimfo Bytes

Precision Ag News 4/3

Cindy Zimmerman

  • The newly formed Women in Ag Tech will hold its first official meeting on July 24 at Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, Iowa. The group aims to provide women in agriculture technology with a platform to connect, engage, and build a community. Those who are interested are encouraged to complete the online interest form here.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved up the cutoff dates for over-the-top application of dicamba label products for soybeans – to June 12 for Illinois, Indiana and Iowa and to June 20 for South Dakota. Those with the new June 12 cutoff also face a growth stage application cutoff of V4
  • NK Seeds announced a renewal of its partnership with John Force Racing. The legendary racing team and the fastest-growing national seed brand are partnering once again to celebrate speed, precision and power, bringing farmers to the racetrack to watch the NK Seeds logo speed down the track.
  • Chad Christianson, a regenerative farmer from Fremont, Nebraska, has been selected as secretary/treasurer for the Soil Health Academy. SHA provides education and practical, on-farm workshops throughout the country to help farmers and ranchers successfully and profitably apply nature’s time-proven, regenerative agriculture principles and practices in their respective operations.
  • The Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) is pleased to announce the opening of the scholarship period for the 2023/2024 school year. Working with the Education Committee, the IPSA Board will award scholarships up to $4,000 to students studying in the field of agriculture.
  • The fifth annual New Uses Forum will be held April 11 at the Minneapolis Marriott West hotel in St. Louis Park, Minn., and is presented by the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), Compeer Financial and Georgetown University’s Rural Opportunity Initiative.
  • Nestlé, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and Cargill are coming together to help scale the adoption of voluntary conservation practices that help fight climate change. In one of the largest corporate commitments to regenerative ranching in the U.S. to date, two of the world’s largest food companies will invest a combined $15 million. This commitment will leverage up to $15 million in federal funds, leading to the activation of up to $30 million in grant funding over the next five years.
  • The CLAAS Group announces Jan-Hendrik Mohr as new CEO effective April 1. The outgoing CEO, Thomas Böck, has decided to step down as CEO of the CLAAS Group to pursue new endeavors.
  • Yanmar America Corporation has achieved its tractor production target for fiscal 2022. This represents an increase of 53.8% compared to the previous fiscal year with production volume more than doubling since FY2020 at Yanmar America’s manufacturing facility in Adairsville, GA.
  • Sentera, the industry-leading provider of ag analytics, announced that its versatile Double 4K Sensor is now compatible with the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise. The dual cameras on the sensor operate in tandem with the wide-lens camera on the drone, maximizing aerial capture for deeper insights.
  • The Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture has opened a comment period to gather feedback on its Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture. The comment period will end at 11:59 p.m./CT on April 30, 2023. Stakeholders can submit feedback on the Coalition website at Open Comment Period.
  • Researchers with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Clemson University are developing new, insect-resistant, and weed-tolerant sweetpotato germplasm that will improve weed management and sustainability for this nutrient-packed vegetable.
AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture

Take the World Backup Day Pledge

Chuck Zimmerman

World Backup DayYou have probably wished you backed up your data (phone, tablet, computer). So, starting right now, pledge to do it and regularly. Even just once a week! Today is World Backup Day. How about now before you get too busy today?

THE WORLD BACKUP DAY PLEDGE

“I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. #WorldBackupDay”

I will also tell my friends and family about World Backup Day – Real friends don’t let friends go without a backup. =)

Technology