Precision Ag News 3/8

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) released policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. The recommendations were recently approved by NACD’s Board by Directors at NACD’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans. NACD’s most important priority is for Congress to keep conservation investments provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in farm bill conservation programs.
  • Area farmers learned how farmers across the Midwest work to improve soil health and were challenged to think about how they are protecting the local watershed. Nearly 50 attendees heard from various experts and local farmers at the Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers annual meeting. Dr. Lee Briese, an independent crop consultant from central North Dakota, gave farmers ideas on how to help their plants and soils thrive.
  • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online for the 2024 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 10th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
  • Farm Journal’s Trust In Food is proud to announce Verdesian Life Sciences has joined America’s Conservation Ag Movement, one of the largest public-private partnerships solely dedicated to the acceleration of conservation agriculture.
  • A national survey has launched to gather insight from farmers who plant cover crops, as well as farmers who don’t. Farmers are encouraged to access the National Cover Crop Survey online. The anonymous survey typically takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
  • John Deere has introduced new G5 Universal displays, a new JDLink M modem and is also making the StarFire 7000 Universal receiver available all as aftermarket options. These offerings make it easy for farmers to upgrade equipment they already own or to replace dated components so they can take advantage of current and future technology.
  • John Deere has announced MY24 updates for its lineup of 7, 8 and 9 Series Tractors that will help prepare them for the future of precision agriculture. Key updates include the new StarFire 7000 integrated GPS position receiver and an all-new G5Plus CommandCenter Display. Both will be included as base equipment.
  • USDA’s Economic Research Service will host a webinar on the Precision Agriculture in the Digital Era: Recent Adoption on U.S. Farms report Thursday, March 9th at 1 p.m. ET. Digital agriculture may be a part of the solution to challenges facing U.S. agriculture, including rising production costs, climate change, and labor shortages, among others.
  • U.S. Custom Harvesters kicked off their 40th anniversary from February 2-4, 2023 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska at their Annual Convention. This year saw a record-breaking attendance as 1,147 members and vendors gathered for the event.
  • The Global Ag Tech Awards of Excellence program sheds light on some of the most important people and programs that have helped agriculture realize the full benefits of technology to improve agronomy, efficiency, and stewardship in crop production. The nominations must be received by April 15, so please consider nominating a worthy individual or organization today.
  • The American Soybean Association congratulates the regional winners of the 2023 Conservation Legacy Award. They are: Terry & Lori Dabbs, Stuttgart, Arkansas (South Region); Tom Perlick, Washburn, Wisconsin (Upper Midwest Region); Michael Vittetoe, Washington, Iowa (Midwest Region); and Les Seiler, Fayette, Ohio (Northeast Region). The award winners will be recognized at the annual ASA Awards Celebration event during Commodity Classic on March 10, 2023. During the celebration, one of the regional winners will be announced as the national winner.
  • Take advantage now of the lowest price offered for the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference May 8-11 in Lincoln, Neb. Explore the theme of “Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for a Changing World” and focus on innovative ways to improve water and food security by increasing farmers’ resiliency to a changing landscape.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

HGS BioScience™ and Tiger-Sul® Partner for Soil Health

Cindy Zimmerman

HGS BioScience™, a leader in the manufacture of dry-delivery, functional carbon, and Tiger-Sul® Products LLC, leaders in sulphur bentonite and micronutrient-enhanced crop performance products, are debuting a new strategic partnership for high-value soil health and nutritional products at Commodity Classic this week.

The first product in their joint venture is Tiger® Humi[K]™ 4%, which combines functional carbon with sulphur bentonite, both companies’ flagship products, in one easy-to use formulation, expected to be commercially available this month.

“This is a classic example of the sum being greater than the parts, said Scott Messer, Vice President, HGS BioScience™. “We are always thinking about ways to get our Performance Technology™ to customers who want to get more out of each acre. The ability to get both these products at once with Tiger Humi[K] is just that solution.”

This combination delivers functional carbon technology which improves soil health, increases nutrient uptakes, and reduces plant stress. The sulphur bentonite increases plant nutrient-use-efficiency, improves soil health and is in high demand to promote higher yields.

HGS and Tiger-Sul have been in talks for months establishing the details of the strategic partnership. The two agree that this will go much further than this initial product, with talks already beginning for other product innovations and joint marketing efforts.

“Growers are always looking for ways to lower input costs, improve efficiency, and increase yields,” said Kit Rowe, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Tiger-Sul. “We believe this new combination product hits all three marks with one convenient pastille. Growers can make fewer applications, and boost productivity.”

In this interview from Commodity Classic, HGS BioScience CEO Mike Steffeck talks about the new company name and focus, this new partnership, and future plans.
Classic 23 interview with HGS BioScience CEO Mike Steffeck (8:09)

Audio, Commodity Classic, Nutrient Management, Soil

Highlights from the National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association 2023 National Ethanol Conference last week in Orlando coincided with the release of EPA’s proposed rule to allow year round sales of E15 ethanol, making it a very timely event with attendance back to pre-pandemic levels.

This edition of the Ethanol Report podcast includes highlights from the NEC, including remarks from RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper; Ben Hengst, EPA Deputy Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality; Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds; Former Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL); RFA Director, Government Affairs Jared Mullendore; Dana Jackson, Partner with RSM US; Former RFA chair Randall Doyal; and current RFA chair Erik Huschitt, Badger State Ethanol.

Ethanol Report 3-6-22 20:18

Click here for more audio and photos from the National Ethanol Conference.

Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts, RFA

ZimmCast 707 – Ready for Spring

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

It is Commodity Classic week and I’ll be there in Orlando, FL. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of good content for a future ZimmCast. You can count on that.

But I’m going to focus on a couple of different conferences in this episode. First I’m going to share an interview Cindy did with Erik Huschitt, Badger State Ethanol, who is the Chair for the Renewable Fuels Association. This was during the National Ethanol Conference last week. We’ve been working on the annual conference since 2007. Besides Erik’s interview we have lots of content on our AgNewsWire.com virtual ag newsroom. It might be the most we’ve ever produced at this conference. In Cindy’s interview you’ll hear Erik talk about what a great conference it was this year.

Next I’m going to let you hear what Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, says about the upcoming Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit, which is will place in The National Press Club in Washington, DC.

With spring almost here it is time for National Ag Day with activities in Washington, DC the day following the Agri-Pulse event. National Agriculture Day is celebrating 50 years. Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, is chair of the event this year with is hosted by the Agriculture Council of America. Amy talks us through the planned activities.

I’ve put on some miles here in 2023 and there are plenty more to come. Besides the events in Washington, DC, it’s time to get registered for the 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 26-28, in St. Louis. And it’s time to register for the Agriculture Relations Council Annual Meeting, June 13-15, in Des Moines, IA. Registration is open for the Agricultural Media Summit, July 29-Aug. 2, in Palm Springs, CA. And you can register for the IFAJ Congress which will take place June 27-July 3, in Olds, Alberta, Canada. That’s a lot but of course there is more being planned as we speak.

That’s the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 707 - Ready for Spring (17:15)

Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Ag Day, Ag Economics, Agri-Pulse, Audio, Commodity Classic, RFA, ZimmCast

Phospholutions Launching RhizoSorb® at Classic

Cindy Zimmerman

This week at Commodity Classic, Phospholutions is announcing the launch of RhizoSorb®, a new phosphate fertilizer technology now available for use in U.S. crop production.

RhizoSorb® is a patented fertilizer additive with a novel mode of action for increasing efficiency of phosphorus fertilizers. Extensive university and multi-year field trials show how growers can achieve a 50% reduction in applied phosphorus on corn and soybeans without compromising yield, resulting in a direct savings on fertilizer costs.

RhizoSorb® technology, a patented blend of activated metal oxides, is embedded directly into fertilizer granules during production. The technology works by storing and releasing phosphate more efficiently in the soil to increase plant availability and uptake throughout the growing season. The novel release mechanism allows plants to drive the release of nutrients independent of environmental conditions, leading to higher nutrient use efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

“Since 2016 our world-class team of researchers and agronomists have worked to bring the technology first conceived at Penn State University to the global farming community. We are confident that our science-backed solution to improving the efficiency of phosphate fertilizers will not only benefit the environment, but the farmer’s bottom line too.” said Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hunter Swisher.

To support the growth into the US row crop market, Craig Dick has joined the Phospholutions Inc. team as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, bringing more than 25 years of experience in launching new novel crop nutrition solutions. “The number one comment we hear from agronomists is that we cannot afford to manage phosphates the way it has always been done,” said Dick. “The need for phosphate efficiency, alongside better grower profitability and a decrease in environmental impact, is driving a strong demand for RhizoSorb®.”

Interview with Phospholutions Founder and CEO Hunter Swisher from Commodity Classic.
Classic 23 interview with Hunter Swisher, Phospholutions (8:25)

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Fertilizer, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

Registration Now Open for 2023 Ag Media Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2023 Agricultural Media Summit (AMS) will be held July 29 through August 2 in Palm Springs, California and registration is now open. AMS is the annual joint meeting of the Agricultural Communicators Network, the Livestock Publications Council and the Connectiv AgriMedia Committee. It is the largest annual conference of agricultural communicators in the US and provides opportunities for networking and professional development through workshops and speakers from industry professionals.

The summit is scheduled to kick off in Palm Springs with an address from Secretary of the California Dept of Food and Agriculture and Nebraska farm kid Karen Ross. The keynote speaker this year is Matt Booth, who encourages us to live an incredible life by having a great attitude, communicating effectively, taking care of ourselves and having a plan. Booth is also on tap to lead two breakout sessions at the summit.

Among the sessions already confirmed:
What’s in My Bag by Jamie Cole, who takes us inside a video storyteller’s bag to get the right video, no matter what the assignment is and where it is.
Difficult On-Farm Photo Situations and How to Overcome Them by Kate Baer
Images @ Work in Social Media by Morgan Boecker, who shares what types of images and graphics work across different platforms.
Making PR Lemonade Out of Lemons — Hear from PR pros about their careers’ past challenges and how they overcame them.
How Companies Can Inflation-Proof Their Marketing Budgets — Hear real-life examples from Dan Mandle on how to analyze the impact media and marketing spend has, and overcome pitfalls of Google analytics.

Find all the information at AgMediaSummit.com and register before July 6 for early bird prices.

Ag Media Summit

Smartwyre Improves Data Health for Crop Input Supply Chain

Cindy Zimmerman

Smartwyre™ is now offering enhanced technology features to help crop input manufacturers, distributors, and retailers better manage critical customer information to track sales transactions and rebate payments.

“For over a decade, there has been an emphasis on technology investment at the grower and farmer level, but the agriculture input supply chain has been left behind. When the foundation of all good decision-making is data, the options, accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of that data can make or break essential business decisions,” said John Brubaker, Chief Executive Officer, Smartwyre. “With the onset of precision ag and other data-producing technologies, as well as the need for more efficient systems to improve profitability, it is crucial that the input supply chain has modern data solutions and one source of truth.”

Brubaker says Smartwyre alleviates data health problems by digitizing manual processes, addressing data issues at their source, and processing transactions on a daily basis, Smartwyre alleviates data health problems.

“Subpar data health can have big implications for the input supply chain as they continue to expand services to growers,” said Brubaker. “Accurate identification of all the relevant entities and data within a grower organization is essential for efficient and effective transactions. Ultimately, we make it easier for agribusinesses to manage data for the growers they do business with, considering there are over 2,000,000 growers in the United States.”

Learn more about Smartwyre in this interview with Brubaker.
John Brubaker, Chief Executive Officer, Smartwyre (11:41)

AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Animal Ag News 3/6

Carrie Muehling

  • Legislation introduced in the House and Senate represents nothing more than another attempt to allow activists to dictate to producers, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Sens. Booker and Warren have long been supported by animal rights groups, and this collective group of bill sponsors has worked long and hard to dismantle our industry’s only self-funded promotion and education effort. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), and their partners Sens. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the Senate bill. Reps. Nancy Mace, (R-S.C.), and Dina Titus, (D-Nev.) introduced the House bill.
  • NCBA announced the hiring of Rebecca Barnett as Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Policy in our Washington, D.C. office. Rebecca will be working on issues such as traceability, Dietary Guidelines, animal welfare, and food safety.
  • The Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) will hold a reception and awards ceremony on April 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual Spring Legislative Conference. The evening will feature the announcement of the 2022 ESAP national winner from the group of seven regional winners that were recognized during the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans in February.
  • The 2023 World Pork Expo will return to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 7-9. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the annual event focusing on education, innovation and networking within the pork industry.
  • Leaders of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association recently announced election results to lead national dairy checkoff strategies and programs to protect and grow dairy sales and trust. Marilyn Hershey, a farmer from Cochranville, Pa., was re-elected chair of DMI.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will award five $2,000 secondary education scholarships to its membership, the cooperative announced. Two scholarships will be awarded to students currently enrolled in college or university or a two-year technical, junior or community college. Three scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors. The full application and guidelines can be found on the Edge website.
  • Wisconsin again wins more awards than any other state or country during the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. Wisconsin cheesemakers secure almost half of the 20 finalist honors, including first and second runner-up. Red Barn Family Farms from Appleton, Wisconsin, was named second-best cheese in the country.
  • Just in time for National FFA Week, Zoetis formally announced the 2022 results of the Zoetis Industry Support Program. More than $371,930 was donated to FFA chapters nationwide with about 36,500 students benefiting from the contributions. Veterinarians and animal health dealers and distributors make the Industry Support Program possible each year by designating a portion of sales from eligible Zoetis Cattle and Equine products to their local FFA chapters.
  • Registration is now open with early savings available for the 2023 Chicken Marketing Summit. The annual executive conference, hosted by WATT Global Media, is scheduled for July 31 – August 2, 2023, at Hotel Effie Sandestin in Miramar Beach, Florida.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Iowa Governor Receives RFA Industry Award

Cindy Zimmerman

A well-deserved award was presented during the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando by the Renewable Fuels Association last week to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for her untiring efforts on behalf of the entire ethanol industry. The award was presented the day after a major victory for the governor in the proposed rule from EPA that will allow her state and seven others to sell E15 ethanol fuel year-round starting in 2024.

Reynolds said she was thrilled that the EPA has approved the multi-state bipartisan RVP waiver request that will pave the way for year-round E15 and bring certainty to the industry, but the delay in implementation is unacceptable.

“This arbitrary deadline is unacceptable and disappointing, but hardly surprising and we won’t accept it without a fight. I’m requesting another emergency waiver to this year while at the same time asking the courts to require the Administration to grant our request immediately. I’ve also requested a meeting with President Biden to discuss the critical timeliness of the waiver.” she said.

Listen to the Governor’s remarks and press availability below:
RFANEC23 Gov. Kim Reynolds award (11:32)

RFANEC23 Gov. Reynolds press (19:42)

Click here for more audio and photos from the National Ethanol Conference.

2023 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Industry Ag News 3/3

Carrie Muehling

  • Don’t miss this opportunity to enter the IFAJ Star Prize Contest. The deadline is NOW March 10, 2023. Click here for rules and online entry forms: https://www.ifaj.org/contests-and-awards/.
  • The community is invited to enjoy an afternoon of beautiful music on Sunday, March 5, as talented vocalists from across the U.S. and beyond compete in the 18th annual Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition. This one-of-a-kind event awards more than $700,000 in scholarships and prizes and provides an opportunity to attend the University of Kentucky as part of the UK Opera Theatre program. The competition begins at 2 p.m. at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association announced that Sumitomo Corporation of Americas has joined the RFA as its newest member company.
  • Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), will host a Farm Bill listening session in Waco, Texas on Wednesday, March 15 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM CDT. Mr. Thompson will be joined by Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17), along with bipartisan Members of the House Committee on Agriculture. Click here to tune into the live stream on the day of the event.
  • GROWMARK, Inc. announced its endure Sustainability Initiative is expanding beyond investing in and promoting effective environment measures, to now also encompass bolstering meaningful social interactions and sound governance.
  • Register now for the 2023 Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit. Hear from industry experts as they discuss “Next-gen farm and food policy” on March 20. The summit offers both in-person and virtual attendance options. Be a part of the conversation and register here: https://www.Agri-Pulse.com/2023-DC-Summit.
  • Undergraduate college students pursuing agricultural communications careers should apply now for up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN, formerly the American Agricultural Editors Association – AAEA). Two scholarships will be awarded in 2023 to outstanding members of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) for their achievements in leadership, career-related experiences, academics and service. Students who do not have active ACT chapters at their colleges or universities may join the National ACT at any time by paying the $17 membership dues. The 2023 ACN Scholarship Application Form and 2023 ACN Scholarship Reference Form are available online at www.agcommnetwork.com/scholarships.
  • Despite challenges from diseases, land development trends and extreme weather, Florida’s citrus industry contributed $6.935 billion to the state’s economy in 2020-21. A just-released report from University of Florida economists, “2020-2021 Economic Contributions of the Florida Citrus Industry,” estimated the economic contributions for the most recent citrus marketing season for which data are available.
  • The National Cotton Council directors for 2023 were announced at the NCC’s recent 2023 annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
  • The U.S. should increase support for agricultural research and development in the next Farm Bill to ensure that farmers can keep feeding the world in spite of challenges from climate change and other shocks, according to a report produced jointly by Farm Journal Foundation and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
  • March is National Peanut Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s favorite foods! The Georgia peanut industry kicked off the celebration this week by hosting the 2023 Georgia PB&J Day in Atlanta, Georgia. During the event, the Georgia Peanut Commission and Peanut Proud donated 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
  • National Farmers Union will host the organization’s 121st Anniversary Convention in San Francisco, California from March 5th through March 7th.
  • The Propane Education & Research Council supports the safe use of propane on the farm with new one-page safety guides covering a variety of topics related to the safe use of propane and propane-powered equipment. All six safety guides can be accessed and downloaded for free at Propane.com.
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