Annual Commodity Outlook w/ Richard Brock

Taylor Truckey March 11, 2015

While at the 2015 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Richard Brock, of Brock Associates, gave his annual Commodity Outlook update to conference attendees.

Brock’s session was packed with attendees hoping to gain insight into commodity markets. When asked about key takeaways for producers, Brock encouraged growers to shift acres to cotton if they’re in a cotton producing area as he sees the downside risk being minimal and upside potential being greater than most are anticipating. Brock mentioned soybeans having considerable downside risk in the market, and although there is temptation to plant more soybean acres due to lower costs, Brock says that by year’s end, they will wish they’d planted cotton.

In reference to how to double your money with corn, Brock cheekily stated, “Fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.” Particularly in non-irrigated areas, he says there is greater upside potential by planting acres to cotton versus planting acres to corn as weather risks have a much larger impact on corn on non-irrigated acres. Brock also stressed the importance of knowing how to make decisions in the market versus importance of knowing price direction.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Richard Brock at the recent Mid-South Farm & Gin Show: Interview with Richard Brock, Brock Associates

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by

Audio, Corn, Cotton, Farm Shows

USFRA Holds Research & Food Industry Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman March 11, 2015

I had the opportunity to catch up with U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) chairwoman Nancy Kavazanjian during the Commodity Classic to find out about their Research & Food Industry Workshop which was held just prior to Classic.

“We’ve been doing research because to talk the talk we need to know what the consumers want to know, the messages that resonate,” said Kavazanjian. “We asked the rest of the industry – the Pepsicos, Frito-Lays, Coscos – to come together so we could share our research and learn from them.”

Kavazanjian says other groups shared their consumer research, such as the Center for Food Integrity, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the dairy industry. “We see this as a great area to continue collaboration,” she said.

Listen to my interview with Nancy here: Interview with Nancy Kavazanjian, USFRA chair

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by Propane Education and Research Council

Audio, Commodity Classic, USFRA

Pig Farmer of the Year Award

Jamie Johansen March 11, 2015

Outstanding pork producers have one thing in common: they cultivate customer trust every step of the way. The Pork Checkoff’s new America’s Pig Farmer of the Year award program will honor the U.S. pork producer who best excels at raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and wants to share this with consumers.

“The public is the main audience, rather than our own industry, because that’s who has questions about how we raise pigs,” said Brad Greenway, vice president of the National Pork Board and chairman of the Stewards Task Force, which oversaw creation of the new program. “Producers demonstrate the We Care ethical principles on their farms every day, and the new award is a unique way to share that with the public.”

Announced during its 2015 Pork Industry Forum meeting in San Antonio on March 6, America’s Pig Farmer of the Year opens its six-week nomination window on April 1. The program builds on many elements behind the successful 20-year run of the now-retired Environmental Stewards Award program.

The intent is to establish the America’s Pig Farmer of the Year winner as a practical expert in pig handling and pork production.

“Consistent with the National Pork Board’s new strategic plan, we want to build consumer trust through on-farm transparency and accountability,” said Dale Norton, National Pork Board president and producer from Bronson, Mich. “The focus is on environmental sustainability, along with animal welfare, production efficiency, the adoption of best practices and a commitment to continuous improvement.”

To help build awareness and momentum for the new program and the We Care ethical principles at its core, the National Pork Board has teamed up with Iowa farmer and TV celebrity, Chris Soules. He also will serve as a judge to help select the eventual winner of the new award.

“I’m honored to be a part of the America’s Pig Farmer of the Year award program,” Soules said. “As farmers, it’s our responsibility to tell our story to audiences outside of rural America, especially in the big coastal cities so that they can learn how their food is raised by farmers who care about their animals and are committed to improving every day. This award format will help us do that.”

According to Norton, Soules’ participation in the new award provides a unique opportunity. “This partnership will help us encourage producers to apply for the award and will help us reach consumer audiences with the real-life stories of how American pig farmers raise pigs today in an ethically responsible way.”

A panel of third-party judges will help determine the final award recipient, which will be announced during National Pork Month in October. The public will also be engaged during the final judging process via the Pork Checkoff’s social media outlets. Short video clips of the finalists will be displayed at americaspigfarmer.com, where people can vote for their favorite.

All U.S. producers are welcome to apply April 1 to May 15. More details are available at americaspigfarmer.com or via the link on pork.org. Specific details also will be available through state pork associations.

Ag Groups, Animal Health, Pork, Swine

Polaris RANGER Becomes Sponsor of ProRodeo

Jamie Johansen March 11, 2015

Polaris® Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles and The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) announced a national partnership recognizing the industry-leading utility vehicle (UTV), Polaris RANGER, as the “Official UTV of the PRCA, the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.”

“Given that the majority of our members and fans reside in rural America, this partnership is a perfect fit,” stated PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman. “Polaris RANGER’s commitment to ProRodeo truly shows the marketing efficacy of this sport and we are proud to have them onboard.”

The newly-formed partnership includes Polaris RANGER joining the PRCA’s family of national sponsors and serving as the Official UTV of the PRCA, the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will be renamed the “Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER.” PRCA World Champions and all RNCFR champions, effective next month in Kissimmee, Fla., will each receive a Polaris RANGER, as well as both of the Remuda Award winners. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund will also benefit with fundraising activities for these two entities.

“Polaris RANGER is excited to continue our support of the sport of rodeo,” said Beth Shimanski, marketing manager for Polaris. “ProRodeo participants are some of the most passionate and dedicated individuals, and this partnership lets us celebrate them and their fans. We look forward to an exciting rodeo season.”

Polaris RANGER provides the hardest-working, smoothest riding UTVs for uses ranging from farming and hunting, to recreational and off-road trips. The line-up consists of premium and value offerings with seating from two to six, in electric, gas and diesel power options to cater to a wide variety of consumer needs.

Read full release here.

Agribusiness, Equipment, Rodeo

BASF Invites Stakeholders to Discuss Food Future

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2015

As part of activities to mark 150 years, BASF hosted a two-day “Creator Space” jamming event in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss the future of food.

The event brought together more than 30 stakeholders from the entire food value chain including farmers, academics, food manufacturers and logistic companies to discuss long-term challenges and trends that may impact the food value chain in the years to come.

During the jamming session, participants brainstormed ideas on topics such as affordability and access to food, personalized nutrition, transparency for consumers and food waste.

All ideas were condensed into three future scenarios: Brazil without water, personal “food-print”, and meat as a luxury item. This approach opens up a new dimension in understanding the needs related to food. The scenarios will be further discussed and refined to help find lasting contributions to society.

The event was jointly hosted by BASF’s Nutrition and Health division, the Crop Protection division and the Bioscience Research division. As a next step, BASF will host a co-creation workshop in Chicago in June with the aim of turning the experts’ insights into new projects and initiatives to support the future of food.

Find out more about BASF Creator Space in the video below:

BASF, Farming, Food, Video

Schmacon Kickstarter Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman March 10, 2015

You’ve possible heard of Schmacon. After all AgWired brought it to your attention a while ago. This is an award winning product that I’d like to find in my local grocery store. Apparently there is a big fan base that has been started from Schmacon tastings and via social media. Now, Howard Bender, chef and inventor, is ready to get into retail distribution and needs help. So, he has started a Kickstarter campaign. Here’s part of his story:

A friend and I went out to breakfast one morning and passed on the regular bacon and opted for turkey bacon. When it got to our table it was hard and dry and really didn’t give us what we craved – the sizzle, the smoke and the sensation of “real” bacon. “There must be a better way,” we thought.

“Well,” I thought, “I’m a CIA-trained chef. Why can’t I solve the problem?” On that day, we began our three-plus-year quest, not just to create a bacon made of beef, because that already (awfully) existed, but to create great-tasting, whole-muscle, crispy, seasoned, smoky and satisfying strips of beef that could make folks happily pass over pork bacon. What we didn’t know at the time was that this new beef product would turn out to be amazingly delicious, healthier than ordinary bacon and a real game-changer.

Fast forward to now and a growing fan base that wants to find Schmacon in their grocery stores — like, yesterday. Through social media and sampling at a few beef events, bacon festivals, state fairs, and a couple of restaurants who got on board early, word has gotten out and our supporters want to know where they can get it and when they can start eating it.

Currently, we are selling to restaurants in a plain, brown 10-pound box. But when we move into groceries, our retail packaging must be more dynamic, informative and eye-catching packaging. Part of the funds will be used to create packaging that is consistent with the bacon department you see at grocery and club stores, yet stands out as different and as unique as Schmacon.

Make a pledge and help him out!

Beef, Beef Checkoff, Food

Farm Families Coalition Receives National Recognition

Jamie Johansen March 10, 2015

Marla Behrends, left, and Linda Olson were presented with the Meritorious Service in Communications award from the American Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers for the Illinois Farm Families Chicago Moms Program by Jerry Hicks, regional Council member for ASFMRA during the annual meeting of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Manager and Rural Appraisers in East Peoria.

Behrends, who is industry relations manager with the Midwest Dairy Association, and Olson, manager of communications for the Illinois Farm Bureau, accepted the award on behalf of the Chicago Moms Program. The program, which was launched in 2012, involves hosting Chicago-area mothers visiting Illinois farm families for on-farm experiences and inside looks at how food is grown, processed and delivered to grocery stores. During the tours they meet farmers and can ask questions related to growing food and about animal care, antibiotics, hormones, biotechnology and any other topics that interest them. Those ‘mom’s who make the visits then post blogs on their experiences at www.WatchUsGrow.org.

The program is underwritten by Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Soybean Association and Illinois Beef Association. The award from ASFMRA acknowledges an individual, company, or association involved in the area of communications that has promoted understanding and goodwill between producers and consumers of agricultural products. The Illinois Society is largest of the 28 ASFMRA chapters around the country.

Ag Groups

“Rev It Up” My ROI Checkoff Challenge

Jamie Johansen March 10, 2015

The Beef Checkoff Program has a unique opportunity to encourage checkoff investors to share how they personally benefit from checkoff efforts, thanks to a generous donation from Yamaha of a three-passenger VikingT EPS 4×4 with specialized accessories and a total value of $21,728.07?

Starting March 16, beef and dairy producers can enter the “Rev It Up” My ROI Checkoff Challenge by visiting the MyBeefCheckoff Facebook page to share how the beef checkoff has impacted their operations. The Rev It Up contest will have two rounds: The first stretches eight weeks with responses to questions about how the Beef Checkoff Program has impacted their individual operations. Each week during Round 1, the checkoff will post a new question on the MyBeefCheckoff Facebook page. Participants are asked to simply answer the checkoff question in 250 words or less for a chance to be selected as one of eight finalists and win a weekly prize.

After all finalists have been chosen, Round 2 involves each of the winners from Round 1 producing a two- to three-minute video testimonial about a topic provided to them on May 13. All finalists will have the same amount of time — about a week — to create their video. Visitors to the Facebook page then will vote to select the grand prize winner.

The grand-prize winner will be announced Monday, June 8.

Ag Groups, Beef, Beef Checkoff

Bayer Issues Forum Shows Evolution of Innovation

John Davis March 10, 2015

Agribusinesses are reaching more and more into the innovation realm to help farmers stay at the top of production and meet the needs of a growing world population. Some have even characterized the process as an “evolution of innovation.”

“The ag companies, and in particular, Bayer, have been very good at innovation in the past, and we’re very good at product development,” Jeff Kneen, R&D New Ventures Manager for Bayer CropScience, told Chuck during an interview at the company’s 10th annual Ag Issues Forum in Phoenix. “But the breadth and scope of innovation taking place today is beyond some of our core competencies. And we need to be know what’s going on out there, invest in them and have access to them in due course.”

Part of that process includes the indirect venture capital investments Bayer is making in the future of food production. Jeff said there are gaps in what Bayer knows that could be filled by some of these innovations, as well as some innovations adding to what the company knows. And Bayer is leaving no stone, including those in the digital realm, unturned, to make sure safe and affordable food is available.

“We don’t know everything that’s going on in agricultural innovation right now. We want to have a better understanding of that, because it will influence what we do in the future.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jeff here: Jeff Kneen, R&D New Ventures Manager for, Bayer CropScience

2015 Ag Issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Research

Smart Sensors & Cheap Connectivity Future of Ag

John Davis March 10, 2015

A combination of more, cheaper smart sensors and more connectivity could make the future of agriculture and food production pretty bright in this country. During the recent Bayer CropScience 10th annual Ag Issues Forum in Phoenix, Michael Rogers, who is an author, journalist and futurist, spoke to those gathered at the event about some of these global trends driving food innovation. He told Chuck that he’s a big believer in the potential of combining a technology, such as Google Glass, with smart sensors that would be cheap and able to be scattered about a farm field.

“I’m a great believer in wearables,” he said. “[Those sensors] could be giving you literally a foot-by-foot presentation on exactly the soil conditions, which could be visualized through smart glasses, overlayed with the data.”

Going hand-in-hand with this wearable data gathering device is the idea of better connectivity in rural areas. Michael said by the year 2020, we’ll be amazed by how low cost and how widely available high-speed connectivity will be, thanks, in part, to the Federal Communications Commission’s ruling on net neutrality. He compared it to the projects in the 1930s that finally brought electricity to rural America.

“The federal government has decided broadband needs to be everywhere,” he said, adding that when you combine that with regulatory powers wanted by the FCC, we’ll see more competitors and, in turn, lower prices for quality, high-speed internet throughout farm country.

In the food sector, Michael said there are a lot of efficiencies that can be wrung out of the food distribution system that will give all those in the supply chain better information to reduce problems, such as spoilage. And he said that don’t be surprised when those parts of the world that might not be as technologically advanced now end up leap-frogging some of the more developed world in what he calls the “Biblical law of technology” where the last shall become first.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Michael here: Michael Rogers, author, journalist and futurist

2015 Ag Issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Internet

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