Alltech Young Scientist Competition Narrowed to Eight

Jamie Johansen April 7, 2015

Eight finalists will move on to the next level in the 10th annual Alltech Young Scientist program, the largest global university contest of its kind that rewards scientific genius and experimental application in agri-science.

A panel of agriculture industry leaders selected four undergraduate students and four graduate students from more than 8,800 registrants for the 2014-2015 term. Students were challenged to submit research studies that demonstrated a keen awareness of science and its applications for improving the future of the world.

Representing six continents across the globe, the finalists will engage in the ultimate test when they present their research during the Alltech REBELation, an international conference exploring innovation, inspiration and world-changing ideas in Lexington, Ky., USA, from May 17-20. The winning graduate student will receive a $10,000 USD cash prize and the winning undergraduate student will receive a $5,000 cash prize. The eight finalists ranking at the top of their global regions are:

Undergraduate Category:
Asia Pacific: Karen De Dios, Pampanga Agricultural College, Philippines
Latin America: Omar Vargas Villalobos, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Europe/Russia/Africa: Rafal Bialek, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
North America: Collin Letain, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Graduate Category:
Asia Pacific: Yuhua Zhu, China Agricultural University, China
Latin America: Norha Constanza Bolívar Ramírez, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
Europe/Russia/Africa: Maria Rita Azeredo, University of Porto, Portugal
North America: Xiaoqiu Wang, Texas A&M University, Texas, USA

Alltech has also named 68 regional and local award winners who have embraced scientific discovery through research. Regional winners of the Alltech Young Scientist program receive cash prizes ranging from $300 to $2,000 and local winners are given medals.

Agribusiness, Alltech, Research

Remembering Russell Pierson

Cindy Zimmerman April 7, 2015

Farm broadcasting pioneer and former NAFB president Russell Pierson passed away last week at the age of 103 and he was remembered at an Oklahoma City funeral service Monday by many friends and fans.

“He hired me in 1974 and trained me to be a farm broadcaster,” said another former NAFB president, Ken Root, who delivered a eulogy at the service. “We had a lot of good times. He was a mentor to me and to many.”

Russell became a member of the National Association of Radio and Television Farm Broadcasters in 1959 when he was hired to head the Farm and Ranch Broadcasting Service for WKY Radio and Television in Oklahoma City. He served as president of what became NAFB in 1973 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Russell always ended his broadcasts over the years with a poem, and he saved one parting verse for the end of his earthly life.

“Never let a single day go by
Without a kind gesture or an act.
And always tell those that you love,
Your affection for them is fact.
For our time on this earth is short,
Compared to what lay ahead.
And with Christ accompanying our journey,
That next step is absent dread.
So to all I leave behind,
And friendships I’ve held dear.
May Peace be with you until we meet again,
And may your days be filled with cheer.”

In lieu of flowers an OSU Agronomy Student Scholarship, through the College of Agriculture, is being established in Russell Pierson’s name and honor. You can send donations Oklahoma State University Scholarship Foundation in Memory of Russell Pierson, PO Box 1749, Stillwater OK 74076.

Russell touched the lives of many NAFBers over his many years – please feel free to share your memories in comments. Rest in peace, Russell, good and faithful servant.

NAFB

FarmLink Names Gebhardt as Chief Strategy Officer

Jamie Johansen April 7, 2015

FarmLink announced that Dave Gebhardt, Ph.D., has joined the company as Chief Strategy Officer – Data Products and Agronomy.

Formerly the Director of Agronomic Data & Technology for WinField, a Land O’Lakes company, Gebhardt will lead efforts at FarmLink to identify innovative data analytics products and solutions that help improve the profitability and sustainability of the food chain, from the field to grocery aisle. Combining his agronomic knowledge with FarmLink’s unique data set and powerful analytics platform, the company will broaden its investment in innovation and talent to expand the benefits of agriculture benchmarking, a technology category the company first established last year.

“As the 2015 planting season begins, FarmLink continues to demonstrate momentum across the agriculture industry, including attracting top leaders like Dave. We are excited to add Dave’s industry and scientific expertise to the outstanding FarmLink team,” said FarmLink Chairman and CEO Ron LeMay. “Dave will help us connect the dots between broad industry challenges and FarmLink’s unique ability to satisfy those needs by leveraging new technologies and approaches. My vision remains to help transform agriculture by bringing actionable data and new economic business models to increase profitability and sustainability across the food system. Dave will help us do that.”

In his previous role, Gebhardt was responsible for data analysis and insight development for WinField’s agronomic research program as well as the development of the company’s precision ag technology and data management solutions for the Land O’Lakes cooperative system.

Agribusiness

Industry Adjusting to Lower Farm Equipment Sales

Cindy Zimmerman April 7, 2015

Sales of farm tractors and combines are continuing their downward trend this year and the industry is adjusting after several good years in a row, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

“The last five years have been pretty darn good years and we were at pretty high levels of equipment sales,” said AEM Senior Vice President and Ag Sector Lead Charlie O’Brien. “So even though we’re down double digits in certain areas, it’s still at not too bad a level, but everybody has to make an adjustment based on what demand is now.”

During the recent Commodity Classic, AEM did an informal survey of ag equipment manufacturers about the downward trend and how long they think it will last. “Everyone has differing opinions but overall people think 2015 will be about the same as last year, 2016 there’s some optimism, but more people are saying 2017,” said O’Brien.

O’Brien notes that while sales of large tractors and combines are down significantly, sales of smaller horsepower tractors are up. “The smaller horsepower tractors track very closely with the general economy, while the larger equipment is tied to net farm income,” O’Brien said.

AEM’s most recent numbers on sales of farm tractors and combines show that as of February 2015 sales of 4WD farm tractors are down over 50% from the same time last year, but total tractor sales including the smaller horsepower categories are down only one percent. Combine sales are down 37% year to date.

Learn more in this interview with O’Brien from Commodity Classic. Interview with Charlie O'Brien, AEM

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by Propane Education and Research Council

AEM, Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, Tractor

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes April 6, 2015

CNH Industrial N.V. is proud to announce the most recent achievements from STEYR, its European agricultural machinery brand, and Case IH, one of its global agricultural machinery brands.
Agri-Pulse founder and President Sara Wyant was named to the annual Folio: “Top Women in Media” recognition in the Entrepreneurs category.
The American Feed Industry Association recently released the redesign of its “4 Promises”–a value-oriented commitment the organization makes to its members to best serve its members’ interests and priorities.
National Corn Growers Association Chief Executive Officer Chris Novak received Purdue University College of Agriculture’s highest honor for achievement, the Distinguished Agriculture Alumni Award, during a ceremony in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Zimfo Bytes

Potato Board Elects New Leadership

Jamie Johansen April 6, 2015

The United States Potato Board (USPB) grower membership elected new leadership during its Annual Meeting held in Colorado Springs, CO, March 10-12. The following sections list the leadership for the coming year.

CHAIRMAN
Carl Hoverson (Larimore, ND)

DOMESTIC MARKETING
Co-Chairmen
Chris Wada (Idaho Falls, ID)
John Halverson (Arbyrd, MO)

Committee Members
Marilyn Dolan-Public Member (Watsonville, CA)
Molly Connors (Pasco, WA)
John Stahl (Ritzville, WA)
Brian Jones (Paul, ID)
Steve Elfering (Idaho Falls, ID)
David Tonso (Center, CO)
Dan Chin (Klamath Falls, OR)
Merrill Hanny (Idaho Falls, ID)

Ag Groups, Potato

Agri-Pulse’s Wyant Named a Top Woman in Media

Cindy Zimmerman April 6, 2015

Congratulations to our good friend Agri-Pulse founder and President Sara Wyant who has been named to the annual Folio: “Top Women in Media” recognition in the Entrepreneurs category. She will be recognized at a June awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.

Wyant was the only agricultural media professional included in this year’s awards, which also honored women from such mainstream media as Forbes, Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Folio: says the annual list “celebrates the creativity and accomplishments of our female colleagues, sometimes against a glass ceiling, other times against the grain. These women have fearlessly moved their teams, brands, and companies forward, made strides in their respective markets, and created lasting impressions on their colleagues.”

As a veteran farm policy editor, Wyant founded Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. in 2004, based on her instincts that agriculture and rural leaders were not getting consistent, high-quality reporting out of Washington, D.C. She launched a weekly paid circulation e-newsletter the following year, covering a wide range of farm, food and rural legislative and regulatory issues.

Folio: is just recognizing what most of the ag industry has known for some time – Sara is just awesome! Congrats to the entire Agri-Pulse family!

Agri-Pulse, Media

Hot Dog Time at the Ballparks

Chuck Zimmerman April 6, 2015

It’s opening day for Major League Baseball. That means hot dogs will be getting plenty of attention. Here in Pensacola our Blue Wahoos minor league team gets into action this Thursday.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council have some great information on the stuff fans like to eat.

Like a Turkey on Thanksgiving, hot dogs are the quintessential summer ballpark food, and the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that baseball fans will consume more than 18.5 million hot dogs and nearly 4.2 million sausages during the 2015 Major League season. The combined hot dog and sausage total could stretch from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to Chase Field in Phoenix. The hot dog total alone would reach as high as 7,827 Empire State Buildings.

There is also a competition that just ended for America’s hot dog champion.

Following more than two weeks of spirited competition, the Cleveland Indians’ Sugardale Dog has been crowned America’s baseball hot dog champion, according to results from the NHDSC’s MLB Madness Bracket contest. Classic and unique hot dogs squared off in the contest, and fans voted for their favorite dog in polls on the NHDSC Facebook page.

Despite claiming victory in the unique dog half of the bracket, the Texas Rangers’ Boomstick struck out in the bottom of the ninth to earn second place. The Atlanta Braves’ Dixie Dog and the Detroit Tigers’ Coney Dog rounded out the final four.

Ag Groups, Food, Meat

Farm Bureau: Food Prices Up About 1%

John Davis April 6, 2015

Shoppers are paying a bit more for their groceries this spring. A new survey from Farm Bureau shows that meat and orange juice are the biggest contributors to an increase of 60 cents of a $53.87 grocery bill on 16 food items, or about of 1 percent, in the group’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket survey.

“Several meat items increased in price, accounting for much of the modest increase in the marketbasket,” said John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist. “The 1 percent increase shown by our survey tracks closely with the Agriculture Department’s forecast of 2 percent to 3 percent food inflation for 2015,” he said.

Items showing retail price increases from a year ago included:

· sirloin tip roast, up 14 percent to $5.71 per pound

· ground chuck, up 12 percent to $4.61 per pound

· orange juice, up 7 percent to $3.47 per half-gallon

· toasted oat cereal, up 7 percent to $3.12 for a 9-ounce box

· deli ham, up 6 percent to $5.53 per pound

· eggs, up 4 percent to $2.05 per dozen

· shredded cheddar cheese, up 3 percent to $4.59 per pound

· potatoes, up 2 percent to $2.74 for a 5-pound bag

Prices for flour, bacon and whole milk are among the items that actually went down in the survey.

Another item that went down in the survey was the amount farmers see of the food dollar. Farm Bureau officials point out that that the farmer’s share of the $53.87 grocery bill would be $8.62, or just 16 percent. That’s only about half of what U.S. farmers got out of the consumer retail dollar.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Food

Search Begins for America’s Pig Farmer of the Year

Jamie Johansen April 4, 2015

America’s Pig Farmer of the Year award program, announced by the National Pork Board in early March, is accepting applications from now until May 17 at americaspigfarmer.com. The award honors the U.S. pork producer who best excels at raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and wants to share how he or she does that with the public.

“This new award brings to life the National Pork Board’s new strategic plan by building consumer trust through on-farm transparency and accountability,” said Brad Greenway, National Pork Board vice president and pig farmer from Mitchell, S.D. “The ideal candidate will have a focus on environmental sustainability, as well as animal welfare, production efficiency, the adoption of best practices and a commitment to continuous improvement.”

“The intent of this new recognition program is two-fold,” said Mike King, director of science communications for the Pork Checkoff. “The contest is designed to find the producer who best demonstrates the We Care principles on the farm. Additionally, the ideal candidate will excel at sharing their story in a way that connects with today’s consumers.”

Objective, third-party judges, including Iowa farmer and celebrity Chris Soules (The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars), will help determine the final award recipient, with the winner announced during National Pork Month in October. The public will also have an opportunity to vote on the winning pig farmer through the Pork Checkoff’s social media outlets. In September, short video clips of the finalists will be displayed at americaspigfarmer.com, where people can vote for their favorite farmer.

“I encourage pork producers to consider applying or to encourage others who would be great candidates to do so,” Greenway said. “This new award will showcase what we do best – raise pigs in an ethical, responsible and transparent way.”

Ag Groups, Pork, Swine

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