Biobased Industry Boosts US Economy

John Davis

USDAA new report that shows the U.S. biobased industry adds $369 billion and 4 million jobs to the American economy. This news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that number is poised to grow under changes in the 2014 Farm Bill.

“This report is the first to examine and quantify the effect of the U.S. biobased products industry from an economics and jobs perspective. Before, we could only speculate at the incredible economic impact of the biobased products industry. Now, we know that in 2013 alone, America’s biobased industry contributed four million jobs and $369 billion to our economy,” [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack said. “Today, we are also adding to the number of innovative products carrying USDA’s BioPreferred® label and expanding options for our nation’s biorefineries. This means small businesses and global companies alike can continue to harness the power of America’s farms and forests to create new and innovative biobased products that are used all around the world.”

According to the Economic Impact of the Biobased Product Industry report, each job in the biobased products industry is responsible for generating 1.64 jobs in other sectors of the economy. In 2013, 1.5 million jobs directly supported the biobased product industry, resulting in 1.1 million indirect jobs in related industries, and another 1.4 million induced jobs produced from the purchase of goods and services generated by the direct and indirect jobs.

This report builds on the “Why Biobased?” report released by the USDA in October 2014.

Agribusiness, Biofuels, USDA

New Holland T7 in the Field

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland T7During the New Holland agricultural journalist trip we were bussed out to La Bellotta Sustainable Farm to see tractors in action and have a chance to ride and drive them. In this photo Willie Vogt, Penton/Farm Progress, is taking his turn in a new T7 Series tractor.

At my first stop we watched Sigurn Ghyselen, New Holland, EMEA Business Marketing Manager T6 and T7, give us a presentation on the new T7 Series tractors which are Tier 4B compliant.

You can specify your New Holland T7 tractor to match your specific business needs. With rated engine power ranging from 140 to 240 horsepower, and PTO horsepower ranging from 110 to 210 PTO horsepower, the seven-model T7 Series line-up offers a choice of semi-powershift, full-powershift or continuously variable transmissions (CVT), with the T7.270 available only with the Auto Command™ CVT. You can add a New Holland loader to any T7 model, and also choose the optional fully integrated front three-point hitch and PTO.

Watch Sigurn give the full presentation in the video:


New Holland Expo Milano 2015 Photos

Agribusiness, Equipment, New Holland, Tractor, Video

American Food 2.0 at Expo Milano 2015

Chuck Zimmerman

American Food 2.0I’m wearing my American Food 2.0 shirt today thanks to New Holland and the trip they put together last week for agricultural journalists. While visiting Expo Milano 2015 I made sure I stopped at the USA Pavilion. The pavilion is sponsored in part by CNH Industrial.

The theme for the USA Pavilion is “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet.”

Expo Milano 2015 will enable the USA Pavilion to showcase the United States as an innovator not only in the food sector, but also in many aspects of culture, science and business. Feeding ourselves engages a massive infrastructure, advanced technologies, and dynamic systems that touch on just about every aspect of the world we live in. Each step from farm to table reflects a set of values and connections that impact our identities and shape our future.

USA Pavilion The USA Pavilion is a one-of-a-kind building designed by architect James Biber of Biber Architects in New York. It is a 35,000 square foot space within Expo Milano’s 3.6 million square foot sustainable “smart city.” The building is a multi-level experience that flows with activity from top to bottom, side to side. It includes a massive vertical farm that will be harvested daily. “I’ve drawn inspiration from the straightforward, ‘honest’ agricultural buildings that are part of our nation’s history,” said Biber in a recent interview about the process of creating the USA Pavilion. “It is a very simple building, and when people look at it, they’ll instantly understand exactly how it was made.”

One of the very unique features of the building is on an outside wall that consists of panels of vegetables growing as part of a “vertical farm.” Another is Food Truck Nation. There are six food trucks located near the pavilion serving traditional American food like hamburgers, BBQ and lobster rolls.

Food, International, New Holland

Please Take Precision Farming Survey

Chuck Zimmerman

I have been asked to help out Phil Bolton who is working on his Ag Econ Masters thesis. It involves a survey on the adoption of precision farming. Can you help out too? Take the survey or share it with someone who can. I know he’d really appreciate it.

Take survey here: Precision Farming Survey

Here’s some information from Phil on his project:

I have been working on my Master (Ag Econ) thesis which is “The Adoption of Precision Farming”. I have deliberately designed it to be short so we have a high completion rate. Primarily I am focused on the NAFTA region.

What I plan to learn from the survey is farmer attitudes to PF technologies (specific to Variable Rate Application or VRA). This will help to understand a couple of things (just a sample of ideas):

1. To understand the main barriers to the technology.
2. To understand the current adoption rate.
3. To find the importance of information sources.

Precision Agriculture

I’m a Farmer Video

Chuck Zimmerman

I got a heads up from the boys and girls of the 11,000 ha Bulla Burra farms in South Australia that they have put out a new parody video about the importance of farmers feeding the world (with some big machinery and bad singing thrown in!).

12 year old Aimee and the Bulla Burra team in the Northern Mallee region of South Australia tell us of their love for their farm with their anthem for agriculture.

Enjoy and share:


Farming, Social Media, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Zimfo Bytes

Summer Interns Begin Work at GROWMARK

Kelly Marshall

GROWMARK57 college students are beginning summer internships with GROWMARK.  Participants will learn accounting, marketing, communications, and product and service-related activities at cooperatives in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ontario.  Orientation was held in May, June will mark a business tour, and project presentations will take place in August.

The interns hail from:

Delaware Valley College
Illinois State University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Iowa State University
Kansas State University
Monmouth University
Northwest Missouri State University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena Heights University
Southern Illinois University
University of Guelph
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Western Illinois University
Willamette University

“We are excited to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the GROWMARK internship program!” said Allison Stephey, GROWMARK university relations manager. “The program continues to be a key component in identifying and retaining top talent into the GROWMARK System. Students engage with industry professionals on important projects and have the opportunity to clarify career goals; while we get exposed to the most talented university students.”

The program began in 1959 with three participants.  Currently over 1,000 students have taken part in the internship.

Agribusiness, GROWMARK

Seed Industry Heads to DC

Cindy Zimmerman

asta-dc-15The 132nd annual meeting of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is being held this week in Washington DC where members of the industry will be talking with lawmakers about issues important to them.

ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne says it is a chance for them to raise awareness about the seed industry with elected officials. “We will be talking about the pollinator issues, which are obviously very hot right now,” said LaVigne. Trade and GMO labeling are also hot issues and will be a big focus for ASTA this week. “The trade issues are always very important to us, we need to be able to move seed globally. And we continue to work with a very large coalition of agriculture and food industry representatives on GMO labeling so that we have a consistent policy across the country driven from Washington DC instead of a patchwork across the country in individual states.” ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne previews annual meeting

While ASTA is visiting DC this week, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will be holding a hearing on “A National Framework for the Review and Labeling of Biotechnology in Food” focused on legislation proposed by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC).

ASTA members will be visiting with their representatives in both the House and Senate this week and will also hear from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Thursday. We are heading that way tomorrow and will bring you all the sights and sounds from the meeting.

ASTA, Audio, GMO, Seed

Wheat Foundation Photo Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

Wheat FoundationHey, agricultural photographers, here’s a contest for you. The National Wheat Foundation is sponsoring a contest to recognize wheat farmers and this year’s wheat harvest.

Entering the photo contest is simple. Email your best 2015 wheat harvest picture to kbullerman@wheatworld.org. Photos will be posted on the National Wheat Foundation’s Facebook page. The Foundation directors will vote to determine the winning photo. All photos must be received by August 28, 2015. The NWF Directors will be awarding four winners. First place will receive an iPad and three runners up will receive a 50-dollar gift card. The winning photos will be displayed in the Wheat Growers office in Washington, D.C.

Contest Rules: Photos must have been taken during the 2015 wheat harvest. Entries must be submitted by email to kbullerman@wheatworld.org before August 28, 2015. There is no limit on the number of entries. Entrants must be located in the United States and be at least 14 years of age.

Ag Groups, Wheat

Farm Progress Show Expanding

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Progress ShowThe Farm Progress Show is growing and exceeding projections for the permanent locations in Iowa and Illinois. This year plans are to expand the show in Decatur, IL by adding three new streets. This will allow for more than 100 new exhibitors and give current exhibitors more space as well.

Penton, Farm Progress Show’s corporate parent, is funding the million dollar plus investment that adds more than 400,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space to the show site. The new streets will have hard surface roads and storm sewer drainage.

The show has had an exhibitor waiting list for several years and this new exhibit area will allow the show to meet current exhibiting demand with a few additional spaces for even more growth. The new phase adds 96 booths, 118 regular lots and 16 Jr. lots.
“The new area will hold everyone on the existing exhibitor wait list with room to spare,” said Matt Jungmann, Penton Agriculture show director. “Current plans are to provide space for more than 100 new exhibitors with outside lots and a new South Varied Industries Tent. Additionally, everyone who had a 2013 lot assignment and requested more exhibit space for 2015 will be accommodated.”

Farm Progress Show, Farm Shows