FMC Corporation Joins Field to Market

Jamie Johansen

fmc-logoFMC Corporation announced that it has joined Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, a multi-stakeholder initiative working to define, measure and advance the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production in the United States.

“Sustainability is central to the way we work at FMC, whether we are enhancing food production or influencing the responsible management of natural resources,” said Mark Douglas, president, FMC Agricultural Solutions. “Field to Market offers a very significant opportunity for engagement in supporting the sustainability of agriculture as we seek to lessen our environmental footprint and broaden our sustainable product portfolio.”

Field to Market’s diverse membership of grower organizations, leading companies, academia, conservation groups and public sector partners provides a platform that unites the agricultural supply chain in creating opportunities for continuous improvement in productivity, environmental quality and human well-being.

“We are pleased to welcome FMC to our growing membership and look forward to collaborating on opportunities to help growers identify opportunities for continuous improvement and drive sustainable outcomes for commodity crop production,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “FMC, which has a long history of delivering technology and innovation to the agriculture sector, will be a valuable partner for the supply chain as we work to advance sustainability at the farm level.

Agribusiness, FMC, Precision Agriculture

2015 Agri-Marketing Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

#NAMA15Hello from Kansas City, MO and the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference. The ZimmComm Team is here and just getting started.

Today the golfers golfed and the students arrived and are practicing their presentations for the start of the Student Marketing Competition tomorrow. Other meetings will be taking place tomorrow before things kick into high gear with the Best of NAMA Awards and opening of the Connection Point.

You might want to get the NAMA app as another way to keep up with the activities. And follow the conference hashtag at #NAMA15.

I’ve started our online photo album and we’ll be adding to it as the week progresses. Feel free to download, enjoy and share.

2015 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

I want to say a special thanks to New Holland and Brownfield Ag News for being the sponsors of our coverage of this year’s conference.

Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by New Holland and Brownfield Ag News
Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by New Holland     Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News for America
NAMA

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Mitch McConnell

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

open-micCongressional leaders return to Washington this week with an agenda bordered by trade, appropriations and a pushback against overregulation. The Kentucky Republican sees opportunity to work with the Obama administration on Trade Promotion Authority and cyber-security legislation, but expects push back over regulations that GOP leaders will try to repeal through a series of policy riders on appropriations bills.

Click here to listen to Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Agri-Pulse

RFD Radio Network Moves Frazer to Director Position

John Davis

frazerIllinois-based RFD Radio Network (RFDRN) moves Rita Frazer to Director of Network and Audio Services, as the company gets ready to say goodbye to a retiring Alan Jarand. This news release posted on AgriMarketing.com says Frazer will oversee all RFDRN operations, including programming and affiliate relations for the network and FarmWeekNow.com/RFDRN digital platforms that include its mobile app, daily e-newsletter, and website.

With more than two decades of experience, Frazer joined the network full-time in 2011 after serving as farm director for WSMI-AM/FM in Litchfield, and helping produce RFDRN’s daily “RFD Illinois” morning program and “RFD Livestock Report.”

rfd-radioVeteran farm broadcaster DeLoss Jahnke joins the network as Network Anchor and Editor. Jahnke’s experience includes service as agribusiness director with WMBD-AM/FM and WIRL-AM/FM in Peoria, communications specialist with the National FFA Organization and as a farm broadcaster with the Brownfield and Kansas Agriculture Networks. WMBD/WIRL now broadcasts RFDRN’s Illinois-focused farm and rural issues programming.

Jarand, a three-decade veteran farm broadcaster, will serve the Bloomington, Ill.-based RFDRN part-time as he transitions to retirement. Jarand helped build RFDRN from a handful of affiliates and programs to over 80 stations and more than 20 long- and short-form programs broadcast Monday thru Saturday. Jarand continues to help produce and serve as lead host of the network’s hour-long “RFD Today” talk show and provide content for other network programs and digital platforms.

Agribusiness, Media

Elanco ‘HATCHes’ Egg Plan to Fight Hunger

John Davis

hatch1aElanco has teamed up with the Kroger Co.’s Central Division, Rose Acre Farms, Gleaners Food Bank and Midwest Food Bank to help fight hunger by providing eggs to undernourished people of all ages. This company news release says HATCH is an innovative partnership of community leaders, government officials, association representatives and food shoppers that will provide one egg to a local food bank for each dozen Kroger-brand medium eggs purchased at 66 central Indiana Kroger stores through June 20.

“Fighting hunger and undernourishment through sustainable, local partnerships is a priority for Elanco, and is at the very heart of the HATCH initiative,” said Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco, the company that developed HATCH. “We believe HATCH will become a model for how communities can come together to create food security. That’s why we are thrilled to partner with Kroger, Rose Acre Farms and Central Indiana food banks to bring this first HATCH project to life.”

Undernourishment is a worldwide problem that affects people’s health, and how they remember, solve problems and make decisions. In the United States, one in five people do not have access to enough protein and other nutrients to meet their body’s needs. Indiana faces a similar challenge, with undernourishment affecting children, senior citizens and their families.

“Hunger is a daily reality for too many neighbors in the local communities Kroger serves,” said Jeff Burt, president of the Kroger Central Division. “Programs like our Perishable Donation Partnership® — and now HATCH — are important ways we help families put nutritious food on their plates every day. HATCH will allow us to focus the generosity of Kroger customers and associates on providing critically needed protein. Kroger has been fighting hunger for 132 years. It’s time to take that fight to the next level and HATCH will do that. Simply by buying a dozen medium eggs, we can ensure our neighbors in need benefit from the nutrients eggs provide.”

The project starts off with 2,880 dozen eggs from Elanco, Rose Acre Farms and Kroger.

For more information is available at HATCHforHunger.com or through social media – #HATCHforHunger.

Agribusiness, Elanco

Soybean Associations Utilize DTN/The Progressive Farmer

Jamie Johansen

DTN-The-Progressive-FarmerDTN/The Progressive Farmer, agriculture’s trusted source for information and data solutions, has been selected by the board members of four state soybean associations to custom publish each group’s publication, effective immediately.

The four associations partnering with DTN/The Progressive Farmer include the Illinois Soybean Growers, Ohio Soybean Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the South Dakota Soybean Association. Combined circulation of the publications will reach 110,000 soybean farmers, association members and allied business partners and will offer a minimum of six issues per year.

“We are delighted to partner with these prominent state soybean associations and work together to serve soybean farmers in these 4 states,” said Jack Odle, publisher of the DTN/The Progressive Farmer media group. The publications include: Illinois Field & Bean, Ohio Soybean News, Minnesota Soybean Business and the South Dakota Soybean Leader.

The DTN/The Progressive Farmer custom publishing service includes industry leading print and digital production, design assistance, database support as well as national and regional sales management from theDTN/The Progressive Farmer team. Publishing and sales efforts will coincide with the July issues of each respective magazine.

“We are looking forward to leveraging this new relationship with our marketing partners and will be discussing and presenting communication opportunities at the National Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City,” said Matt Herman, DTN/The Progressive Farmer’s director of strategic ag accounts and custom publishing.

Agribusiness, data

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • DTN/The Progressive Farmer, agriculture’s trusted source for information and data solutions, has been selected by the board members of four state soybean associations to custom publish each group’s publication, effective immediately.
  • Elanco, The Kroger Co.’s Central Division, Rose Acre Farms, Gleaners Food Bank and Midwest Food Bank introduced a way consumers, food stores and farmers can easily work together to provide eggs to undernourished people of all ages.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. welcomes Tim Scott as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
  • Rabobank recently named Donald Meltzer as Vice Chairman, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for its North America Wholesale banking division, serving the bank’s food, beverage and agribusiness clientele in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Zimfo Bytes

New Holland at NAMA

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to Agri-Marketing Conference week. The annual event where we all get together and have a good old “professional” time. The ZimmComm Team will be in Kansas City, MO to bring you all the play-by-play action.

New Holland NAMA #TractorTweet120

This year one of the sponsors of our coverage of the conference is New Holland. New Holland will be exhibiting for the first time in the Connection Point trade show which starts Wednesday evening after the Best of NAMA Awards program. Please make sure to stop by and welcome them.

To liven things up and get your creativity going New Holland will be conducting a Twitter contest to win an iPad. All you have to do is get their toy tractor and submit a photo with it in your favorite spot at the conference to #TractorTweet120. New Holland will tweet the winner back. Here are some more details.

Visit New Holland at Booth #115, show us your “Tractor Tweet” photo, and we’ll enter you to win an Apple® iPad.* One iPad will be given away each day of NAMA. So if you don’t win the “Tractor Tweet” contest, you could still win big in our iPad-A-Day Giveaway.

Growing Greatness: What’s the “120” mean in our contest’s hash tag #tractortweet120? New Holland is celebrating 120 years of helping to move agriculture forward with SMART equipment, technology and innovation. We’ve helped generations of farmers work more productively. Now the next gen is here—and New Holland is ready.

So, start thinking about locations and remember the conference theme, Growing Greatness. New Holland has been doing that for 120 years btw. We congratulate them on achieving this milestone.

Ag Groups, NAMA, New Holland

EPA Sets Timeline for Biofuels Volumes

Cindy Zimmerman

epa-150Under a court settlement with the oil industry, the Environmental Protection Agency will now release the 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for biofuels by June 1, 2015, and issue the final 2014 and 2015 RFS blending targets by November 30, 2015. In addition, EPA will also release and finalize 2016 numbers this year.

The agency failed to finalize 2014 volume requirements last year creating uncertainty in the biofuels industry, so corn and soybean farmers expressed cautious optimism about the announcement.

“The EPA has provided additional clarity about their timeline for announcing the 2014 through 2016 renewable fuel requirements,” said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling. “We have expressed our concerns about the continued delays to the EPA, and we will be taking them at their word that they will adhere to this new deadline.”

“Today’s announcement provides encouragement that EPA will get the RFS implementation back on track and provide greater certainty and stability to the U.S. biodiesel industry,” said American Soybean Association President Wade Cowan. “As good as this news is, however, there are still questions that remain regarding the volume levels that EPA will propose for 2014-2017.”

EPA has indicated that it will propose volume requirements for 2014 that ‘reflect the volumes of renewable fuel that were actually used in 2014.’

Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, Soybean

Progressive Ag Foundation Names New CEO

Jamie Johansen

safety day logoFor two decades, Susan Reynolds-Porter has dedicated herself to advancing the Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF) mission of providing education and training to make farm, ranch and rural life safer and healthier. And now, she has been named the organization’s first CEO.

In 1995, Reynolds-Porter developed the community-based youth safety education program that is now known as Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® with The Progressive Farmer. Early in her career, she served for 15 years as a food and nutrition specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, followed by three years as the food editor for Southern Living. She eventually moved on to guide PAF as the executive director of programs in 2002 and has been serving as the foundation’s interim CEO since March 2014.

“After conducting a nationwide search, the board of directors had no hesitation selecting Susan to fill the newly created CEO position,” said Brian Kuhl, president, board of directors, Progressive Agriculture Foundation. “We are grateful to have her strong leadership, years of experience and passion for rural safety, which will help continue to grow the foundation and its programs.”

Reynolds-Porter has overseen the Safety Day program’s growth across North America and South America. Progressive Agriculture Safety Day programs have reached more than 1.2 million people in the U.S., 100,000 people in Canada and have recently been introduced in Brazil.

“I am honored to continue my involvement with the foundation as its first CEO,” said Reynolds-Porter. “The foundation and its mission are near to my heart. I am eager to help expand the Safety Day program and grow the foundation’s reach to help sustain more lives around the world.”

Ag Groups