Roundy’s CEO to Address United Fresh Produce

John Davis March 3, 2015

The head of one of the Midwest’s largest grocers will speak to a major fresh fruit and vegetable supply association. This news release from the United Fresh Produce Association says Roundy’s Chairman, President and CEO Robert Mariano will speak at the group’s meeting, United Fresh 2015, during the opening general session on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

“From appreciating the unique roles that customers, employees and suppliers all play in business cycles to understanding the direction in which public policy, technology and next-generation strategic thinking could shape the industry’s future, Bob, perhaps better than anyone, grasps the complex nature of today’s produce retail environment,” said United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel. “We are excited to have him share his insight, experience and perspective on how he sees our industry evolving.”

United Fresh 2015 is co‐located with FMI Connect 2015 and the International Floriculture Expo, bringing together retail, fresh produce and floral leaders to enhance relationships with valuable business partners.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness

Football Player to Farmer Featured at #AIF2015

Cindy Zimmerman March 3, 2015

For some guys when they go through a mid-life crisis, they might go out and by a sports car or a boat in their 40s. For Jason Brown, that crisis came a bit earlier and took an unusual turn toward farming.

“I went through my mid-life crisis at 27 years old,” said the former NFL center and current farmer as he recalled his inspiring story at the Bayer CropScience 10th annual Ag Issues Forum last week in Phoenix. “I looked over my life and said, ‘Jason, you’re doing something great [being in the NFL], but yet it’s only benefiting yourself.’ I felt I was being called to a life of purpose, a life of service. And I asked God what can I do to make the greatest impact on the world today. And He turned around and told me, ‘Farming.'”

Jason said he was completely surprised by the answer, but as he researched it more, he realized that everyone benefits from agriculture. His life of service is already paying off for the people whose lives he’s touching, as he just harvested from his farm 120,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, which have all gone to food banks, churches and others. In the near future, he hopes to double that amount and diversify to even more food. He said he wants to solve what he calls “food deserts.”

“People can’t go out and eat those soybeans or corn of those commodity crops,” Jason said, adding that there’s a lack of fruits and vegetables for those who might not be able to afford food they need, and he hopes others hear the same call he did to serve as a farmer.

Jason concluded that he was glad to attend this Bayer event, as it touched on a lot of different issues and helps dispel some of the myths the general public might have about our food sources.

Interview with former NFL center turned farmer Jason Brown

2015 Ag Issues Forum Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, Farming

CTIC Celebrates Soil at #Classic15

Cindy Zimmerman March 3, 2015

The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) was celebrating the International Year of Soils this year’s Commodity Classic in Phoenix.

CTIC executive director Karen Scanlon was handing out gummy worms and recipes at Commodity Classic so families can have a fun way to learn about soils. “[CTIC] has always supported soil health by promoting conservation systems as a great combination of practices that can build up soil quality and protect other resources while being a productive and profitable system for farmers,” she said.

Scanlon says CTIC has just started its third annual cover crop survey, which is sponsored by USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and Corn+Soybean Digest. Farmers are invited to share their thoughts on cover crops, whether or not they use them, to help other growers, researchers, agricultural advisors, ag retailers and policymakers more effectively address questions about cover crops and learn about best practices.

And we’re looking forward to this year’s CTIC Conservation in Action Tour, which will be Aug. 11-12 in Minnesota. Listen to my interview with Karen here: Karen Scanlon, CTIC executive director

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, Conservation, CTIC

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes March 2, 2015

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture announced at the 2015 Commodity Classic in Phoenix, Arizona that Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, has joined the Alliance.
On June 17 at the Chamber of Commerce Board Room in historic Union Station, the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City will honor three of the region’s leading business figures who have been civic champions for agriculture in separate but very key issue areas in our region.
Randal S. Fransen, AFM, vice president and farm manager at First National Bank of Dwight, IL, was elected as 2015 president of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers at the organization’s annual meeting which was held recently.
Recruit someone you know to become a NAMA member by April 1, 2015 and be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini during NAMA’s Annual Conference on Thursday, April 16.

Zimfo Bytes

BASF to Sponsor Wheat Yield Contest

Cindy Zimmerman March 2, 2015

BASF Crop Protection and the National Wheat Foundation had a big announcement at the 2015 Commodity Classic – the creation and implementation of a National Wheat Yield Contest.

“We appreciate the generous support of our primary industry partner, BASF, to assist in the creation of this program,” said NWF Chairman Dusty Tallman of Colorado. “We are looking forward to this contest increasing grower productivity, helping build a stronger U.S. wheat industry and increasing knowledge transfer between growers.”

Listen to the announcement at Classic here: NWF and BASF announce Wheat Yield Contest

The objective of the contest is ultimately to increase U.S. wheat grower productivity by driving innovation, enabling knowledge transfer between growers, experimenting with new technologies, and identifying top wheat producers in each state.

“Our goal is to help growers get the most out of every acre,” said Neil Bentley, Director of Marketing for BASF, pictured here on the left awarding this year’s wheat scholarships. “Initiatives such as the National Wheat Yield Contest give growers an opportunity to work with innovations that help them break yield barriers, and allows farmers to grow and learn from one another.”

Yield contest rules are still being developed but the competition is expected to be separated by wheat class, by dryland or irrigated and by state and region with parameters including class, geography, quality and yield.

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

2015 BASF Science Behind Photos

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Audio, BASF, Wheat

#Classic15 Pocket Knife Ribbon Cutting

Cindy Zimmerman March 2, 2015

Normally we video the opening ceremonies for the Commodity Classic trade show, but we were a little shorthanded this year so it was just photos. Fortunately, our gold star intern Taylor Truckey recorded enough of a sequence to enjoy the moment as the ribbon cutters were having a hard time with some dull scissors and it came down to a pocketknife to start the show. Good reason to pack it in your suitcase or drive to an event – you never know when that pocketknife can come in handy!

Watch it here:

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Commodity Classic, Corn, sorghum, Soybean, Video, Wheat

2014 Nebraska On-Farm Research Results

Jamie Johansen March 2, 2015

The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network continues to grow and this year the program expanded to include three update meetings with over 250 in attendance. Growers and educators discussed results from over 75 on-farm research studies. A number of topics were covered: cover crops, foliar fungicides, growth promoters, harvest methods, seed treatments, foliar micro-nutrients, planting operations, corn and soybean planting populations, variable rate seeding and more.

Results from the 2014 growing season have been published and can be downloaded online.

Planning for 2015 projects are already underway. If you are interested in conducting an on-farm research study contact the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network.

Nebraska On-Farm Research Network has been working with Nebraska’s producers for 26 years to address critical production, profitability, and natural resources questions.

Ag Groups, Farming, Research

#Classic15 Session on Farming Like a Champ

Cindy Zimmerman March 2, 2015

Two yield rocking champions played to a standing room only crowd at the 2015 Commodity Classic in a session sponsored by BASF Crop Protection on how to get the most out of your acres.

Always a crowd pleaser, world champion soybean grower Kip Cullers of Missouri hammered home the importance of happy plants and packing starch. “You keep that plant alive, happy, healthy and growing,” said Cullers. “Keep the factory alive, keep packing starch, increase your seed weight, you kernel size, and that’s just the way it works.”

“It’s a total system approach,” he added. “You gotta do everything right to the best of your ability and hope Mother Nature works with you.” Interview with Missouri farmer Kip Cullers

National Corn Yield Contest multiple winner David Hula of Virginia put his advice in the form of the Farmer’s Hand to Success.

“Starts out with the thumb for a positive attitude – thumbs up,” said Hula. “Then your index finger, what you can point to that you did right or wrong.”

The middle finger Hula calls the “mechanical finger” and represents equipment, the ring finger represents relationships and the importance of seed. “Because that is emotionally driven but it’s very important to us,” he explains. The whole palm represents gratitude to the Good Lord in prayer. Amen! Interview with NCYC winner David Hula of Virginia

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

2015 BASF Science Behind Photos

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Corn, Soybean

PR Newswire Blog Highlights Ag Blogs

Jamie Johansen March 2, 2015

Each week PR Newswire’s blog, Beyond Bylines, publishes Blog Profiles. The section dedicates a post on an industry or subject and a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting, contributing, and blogging about the given topic. PR Newswire media relations manager Christine Cube, serves as it’s author and we were excited about her most recent subject matter.

Christine said she has caught Spring Fever and started thinking about vegetable gardens. This inspired her to start looking into agriculture and farming blogs. Our AgWired Team was excited to see our name on her list of blogs to highlight. I am sure many of you have checked out the others on the list, but if not, you should do so. They include: The Progressive Farmer’s Machinery Chatter, Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog, FarmPolicy.com and Organic Farming Blog.

Ag Groups, ZimmComm Announcement

AFBF and NFU Policy Panel at #Classic15

Cindy Zimmerman March 2, 2015

John Deere sponsored an ag policy panel at the 2015 Commodity Classic, moderated by our friend Sara Wyant with Agri-Pulse, and featuring the policy specialists from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Farmers Union (NFU).

With trade being a top issue on Capitol Hill right now, NFU’s Chandler Goule and AFBF’s Mary Kay Thatcher voiced their respective organizations’ differences of opinion on Trade Promotion Authority.

“We’re very strongly supportive of both Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans Pacific Partnership,” said Thatcher. “Every president since 1974 has had Trade Promotion Authority,” she added, but she acknowledged that Congress is still a few votes short of getting it approved.

Goule says NFU has long opposed TPA, or what is sometimes called Fast Track Authority. “It’s for a philosophical reason,” he said. “The Constitution says Congress has the right to enter into trade agreements…if you pass TPA you are signing away your constitutional authority to one person and that is the president.”

Thatcher and Goule addressed a number of other issues, such as farm bill implementation and the Renewable Fuel Standard, and our intrepid intern Taylor Truckey interviewed both of them after the panel about their viewpoints.

Classic15 Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF Classic15 Interview with Chandler Goule, NFU

2015 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of Commodity Classic sponsored by

AFBF, Ag Groups, Audio, Commodity Classic, John Deere

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