2025 Tech Hub Live

Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton, Syngenta, Receives Golden Goose Award

Chuck Zimmerman

Mary-Dell ChiltonOne of the awardees of the Golden Goose Award this year is Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton. I had the opportunity to interview her during a Syngenta Media Event in 2006. You can find that interview here.

Here is an overview of the work Dr. Chilton is well-known for.

Using millions of years-old bacteria to genetically modify plants resistant to pests. Awardee: Mary-Dell Chilton – Syngenta .

In the 1970s, scientists were trying to uncover whether bacteria’s ability to repair their own DNA could also hijack plant growth — a survival strategy which, while savvy, threatened agricultural crops. Determined to find the answer, Mary-Dell Chilton analyzed data at her kitchen table after her kids had gone to bed. To her surprise, she discovered that bacteria could transfer their DNA into plants. The technique she eventually developed based on the bacteria’s natural abilities, known as Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT), is now widely adopted by U.S. corn, soybean and cotton farmers.

The Golden Goose Award, which celebrates federally funded research that sounds silly, but ultimately benefits society, has selected five researchers across the fields of biology, agriculture and genomics for their unexpected breakthroughs as 2023 awardees. On September 27, 2023, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, co-hosted the 12th annual Golden Goose Award ceremony with the Association of American Universities, a founding member of the Golden Goose Award, at the Library of Congress to celebrate the awardees’ achievements. You can find the video of the presentation on YouTube.

You can see the full news release here. (pdf)

Agribusiness, Audio, Biotech, Syngenta

Precision Ag News 9/27

Carrie Muehling

  • On the heels of the first anniversary of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has seen record interest in the conservation and clean energy programs that received funding from the law. As a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Inflation Reduction Act is the nation’s largest-ever investment to combat climate change.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), resolved longstanding litigation covering over 1,000 pesticide products, allowing EPA to fulfill its obligations to protect endangered species while conducting reviews and approvals of pesticides in a safe and protective manner. In 2011, the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network filed a complaint in Federal Court in California against EPA alleging that it was violating the Endangered Species Act when it registered or reevaluated the registration of 382 pesticide active ingredients, which was ultimately reduced to 35 active ingredients covering over 1,000 pesticide products containing one or more of these active ingredients. This became known as the “megasuit” because of the number of pesticides it covered. The settlement entered by the Court last week resolves all outstanding claims.
  • Stratovation Group, fresh off releasing landmark research about the sentiments of traditional row-crop farmers on the use of agricultural biologicals, is engineering a new study to look at how specialty-crop growers perceive agricultural biologicals for vegetable, leafy greens and fruit and nut crops. The new study, “Biologicals: Specialty Crop Growers’ Perceptions, Values and Potential,” will be conducted in collaboration with Western Growers, the Agricultural Retailers Association, DC Legislative and Regulatory Services, and The Fertilizer Institute.
  • To meet the increasing demands and projected future growth for its industry-leading MycoApply arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) products, Valent BioSciences LLC has announced the construction of a new manufacturing facility in White City, Oregon. This new plant will complement the existing headquarters and manufacturing operations for its subsidiary company, Mycorrhizal Applications LLC, in Grants Pass, Oregon.
  • John Deere and DeLaval have joined efforts to create the Milk Sustainability Center, a digital ecosystem to help dairy farmers improve the efficiency and sustainability of their operations. The ecosystem will be open for partners to join, with the objective of providing farmers with data needed for a holistic view of the dairy operations.
  • The upcoming seventh annual VISION Conference is returning to Glendale, AZ from January 22-24, 2024.
  • Camryn Hyde has joined the Concept AgriTek team as an Executive Assistant specializing in data report and analysis.
  • Best-in-class research and innovation requires top notch lab facilities and AgXelerators has found it in the Purdue Technology Center (PTC). Owned and operated by the renowned Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Research Park is the largest Certified Technology Park (CTP) in the state of Indiana. More than 250 high-tech companies call the park home, including those working in a wide array of market segments.
  • AgMission, an initiative co-created by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and World Farmers’ Organisation to develop and implement climate-smart agriculture, awarded The Nature Conservancy (TNC) a $1,784,805 grant to expand the scale and scope of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS). OpTIS is a remote sensing tool that gives the conservation and agriculture communities vital data to help farmers accelerate soil health and climate-smart practices.
  • New Zealand-based agritech company Robotics Plus has launched Prospr, an autonomous, multi-use, hybrid vehicle designed to carry out a variety of orchard and vineyard crop tasks more efficiently and sustainably while reducing reliance on labor. Prospr is now commercially available from Robotics Plus, a specialist in the design and build of innovative agricultural robotics.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    House Ag Committee Members Discuss Farm Bill

    Cindy Zimmerman

    U.S. Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Tracey Mann (R-KS)

    The current farm bill expires this weekend, so it is less than unlikely that a new one will be passed before that time, but will it happen before the “drop dead” deadline of the end of this year?

    Two members of Congress from Kansas were at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City on Monday, hosted by AgBizKC and Agri-Pulse Communications. U.S. Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Tracey Mann (R-KS), both members of the House Agriculture Committee, discussed the potential for getting a farm bill across the finish line without an extension.

    “You’ve got to remember that the farm bill today is 81 percent food and nutrition, 19 percent everything else,” said Mann, who is fifth-generation Kansan, born and raised on the family farm. “In the everything else bucket are things like crop insurance, market access programs, conservation programs, all of the things that effect production agriculture.”

    Davids, who has served in Congress since 2019, admittedly knows little about agriculture but says she has embarked on a listening tour around the state to learn more. “I went to a livestock auction. I didn’t buy anything, luckily they wouldn’t let me,” said Davids. “I went to a co-op, a vegetable farm, a goat farm. I’m learning the difference between all the different types of cows.”

    Listen to their opening statements here:
    Ag Outlook Forum - Reps. Mann and Davids 20:13

    Agri-Pulse, Audio, Farm Bill

    Save the Date for VISION Conference 2024

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The seventh annual VISION Conference is returning to Glendale, Arizona, January 22-24, 2024.

    The VISION Conference has firmly established itself as the premier gathering for forward-thinking executives in the ag tech community. This event serves as a critical platform where industry leaders come together to chart the strategic roadmap for the adoption of the latest innovative technologies and systems. Our primary focus is on the key drivers that will transform the agribusiness industry within the next 3 to 5 years.

    New in 2024, the second in-person meeting of Women in Ag Tech (WiAT) will be co-located with the VISION Conference, starting with a networking reception on January 21.

    AgWired Precision, Events, Technology

    Agri-Pulse to Host Webinar on Infrastructure and U.S. Soy

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With low water levels in the Mississippi River and thousands of roads and bridges in need of improvement, what’s the future look like for moving this year’s soybean crop to domestic and international buyers?

    Find out during a free one-hour webinar, “Our Soy Checkoff: Improving U.S. Infrastructure to Meet Demands for U.S. Soy,” on Sept. 28. American Soybean Association Chief Economist Scott Gerlt, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition Mike Steenhoek and Agri-Pulse will share news on current conditions as well as some promising infrastructure improvements.

    “As harvest gets underway, this is an opportunity to gain insights into the impact of this year’s drought on crops and key waterways, as well as the potential implications for market prices,” says Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant.

    The webinar at 1 p.m. ET is sponsored by the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. You can sign up by clicking on this link.

    Agri-Pulse, Soybean, webinar

    Animal Ag News 9/25

    Carrie Muehling

  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) held its 52nd annual Liquid Feed Symposium (LFS) in Louisville, Ky., where over 170 attendees gathered to hear the latest ingredient, weather and market forecasts and discuss the ways this unique industry segment factors into cattle producers’ sustainability objectives.
  • The Greener Cattle Initiative (GCI), a multi-partner international consortium investing in research mitigating enteric methane, awarded additional grants to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle. The grants aim to understand how mitigating methane emissions impacts cows’ biology, performance and health, and if selective breeding can result in cows that produce less enteric methane.
  • U.S. EPA Region 7, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa announced that registration is now open for the upcoming conference titled Anaerobic Digestion on the Farm – Optimizing Environmental and Economic Outcomes for Rural Communities and Beyond. EPA and the universities will host the conference Nov. 6-8, 2023, at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
  • The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is hosting two educational sessions for established and emerging meat and poultry processors this fall. The webinars are free and will focus on key business and financial decisions facing small and medium-sized operators. The first session will cover the process of transitioning or selling a meat processing business. The second course will explore emerging and proven strategies to help meat processing businesses reduce costs and add value by using hides and animal byproduct harvesting during processing.
  • Nedap’s North American team continues to grow and strengthen. The global leader in dairy data management technology announces Thierry Perrotin has joined Nedap as vice president for dairy, North America and Emily Rolli has joined as a technical experience manager.
  • Kevin Burkum, Chief Communications Officer, is leaving Global Dairy Platform. Kevin will be CEO for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA). USFRA is a network of farmer and rancher-led organizations and food and agricultural partners that work together to address critical issues facing U.S. agriculture and global food and renewable energy systems. Kevin’s last day with GDP will be Monday, October 2.
  • Poultry Tech Summit, the essential global event for collaborating on next-generation technologies, features an agenda packed with new ideas that improve profitability and productivity for growers, integrators and processors. The 2023 event is scheduled for Nov. 6-8, 2023, at a new location in the conveniently located Hilton Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration is open with early savings ending Sept. 29.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved $330,000 for five new research grants at four institutions through the comprehensive research program. The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee. The committee evaluates research proposals to determine their value to the industry and then makes recommendations to the boards for funding. Committee members are professional specialists from different segments of the poultry and egg industry who represent a variety of disciplines.
  • Meghan Cline has joined the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) as director of policy communications. In her role, she will focus on strategies for effectively communicating NPPC’s policy positions to a wide variety of audiences, including producers, lawmakers, the media, and consumers.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 9/22

    Carrie Muehling

  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced the selection of Dr. Swati Nayak as the 2023 Recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by The Rockefeller Foundation. Nayak is recognized for her innovative approach to engaging farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems, from testing and deployment to access and adoption of climate-resilient and nutritious rice varieties.
  • Farm Foundation, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, is pleased to announce the call for nominations for its 2024 annual suite of awards celebrating significant achievements in the agriculture and food sectors.
  • A modest rebound in U.S. wheat production and supplies is improving the outlook for profitability among grain elevators that store wheat. Futures market carries have improved for all three major classes of wheat and the buy basis is widening following a bigger harvest. The larger harvest follows two years of poor production and a historic run of inverted futures markets that sapped profitability for storing wheat. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the major risk to elevators in the year ahead is a sharp rally in wheat prices.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a call for nominations to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. Members of the public are invited to submit nominations for themselves or other qualified experts by October 10, 2023.
  • The following awards were presented at the Mid America CropLife Association Annual Meeting recently. A total of five awards were presented including: Ambassador of the Year – Michelle Kilper; Educator of the Year – Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien; Media Award – Bob Quinn, WHO Radio; Industry Vision – Steve Petersen, Gowan USA; and Dean Roy Distinguished Service – Aaron Locker, Helm.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers honored U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), and U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) with their AEM Champion of the Industry Award. The award, presented for the third time in the association’s 125+ year history, recognizes members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for their steadfast support of the equipment manufacturing industry and their efforts to advance bipartisan, commonsense solutions to the country’s toughest challenges.
  • Young readers can embark on a swashbuckling adventure to learn where potatoes come from in “Potatoes for Pirate Pearl,” the newest title from Feeding Minds Press, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s publishing venture.
  • American Seed Trade Association is excited to welcome Martha Malapi as Director, Seed Health & Trade. Martha transitions into the role as Ric Dunkle prepares for retirement after more than 15 years with ASTA and 35 years handling phytosanitary issues in state and federal government. Martha joins ASTA after 10 years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a number of roles, including Branch Chief of APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services.
  • RFD-TV, in partnership with FarmHer, Inc., is proud to announce the selection of Kirbe Schnoor and Janie Johnson as its new television hosts for FarmHer and RanchHer, two shows returning to primetime on Rural America’s Most Important Network in 2024. Kirbe Schnoor will take the lead as TV host for FarmHer, and Janie Johnson will run point as the TV host for RanchHer.
  • Northern Soy Marketing (NSM) recently held its inaugural Midwest Crop Tour in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska for group of Southeast Asian buyers. The team of 13 international buyers included professionals employed in their companies’ procurement, purchasing, market research, supply chain and other divisions. The companies represented on the tour include some of the largest purchasers of soybeans in Southeast Asia: Charoen Pokphand, Japfa, Thai Vegetable Oil and more.
  • John Schneider, a veteran digital marketing strategist with a focus on delivering services that generate business impacts, has been named senior vice president of digital and engagement at Curious Plot. In the role, Schneider will be leading a fast-growing team that provides digital and media services to the entire spectrum of clients in food, agriculture and companion animal care.
  • Early reports from agricultural operations in Florida’s Big Bend region indicate production losses caused by Hurricane Idalia fall in an estimated range of $78.8 million to $370.9 million, according to University of Florida economists. Some 3 million acres of agricultural lands were in the storm’s path, including row crops like peanuts and cotton, dairy and poultry farms, aquaculture operations and more.
  • The 26th annual Plains Peanut Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23 in Plains, Georgia, home of President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The event highlights the harvest of its cash crop, peanuts, which has big potential across the globe by providing a sustainable and nutritious product and fighting malnutrition. Georgia leads the nation in annual peanut production, accounting for nearly half of all the peanuts grown in the United States.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Golden Harvest Corn at #FPS23

    Carrie Muehling

    Golden Harvest is launching 24 new corn hybrids in 2024, including five new Enogen hybrids for fuel and feed. The complete portfolio includes hybrids ranging from 82 to 117 days, according to Corn Product Manager Andy Ackley.

    “We made a significant investment into our business a few years ago, and we’re really starting to see that investment come to fruition with this class,” he said.

    Ackley encouraged farmers to get in touch with a local Golden Harvest sales representative as these products are already available.

    Andy Ackley, Golden Harvest Corn Product Manager
    2023 Farm Progress Show interview with Andy Ackley, Golden Harvest 2:16

    Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Golden Harvest, Seed, Syngenta

    ZimmCast 718 – Opening of the Ag Innovation Campus

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    Last week the Ag Innovation Campus held its grand opening in Crookston, MN. You can see lots of photos and interviews in the virtual newsroom I published on AgNewsWire.com. I’m going to share some of those interviews in the episode.

    Before getting to the AIC facility I met a group of farmers and other ag leaders in Fargo, ND to tour the Northern Crops Institute. This is a collaborative effort among Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to support the promotion and market development of crops grown in this four-state region and it is situated on the campus of North Dakota State University, in Fargo. I’ll share my interview with Mark Jirik, Director, who will describe the unique work they do there.

    After that we got on a bus and traveled to the Riverview Waukon Dairy where I met David Yost who will provide an overview of the large and very impressive facility they have built.

    AIC Ribbon CuttingThen we moved on to Crookston, MN to the Ag Innovation Campus. We had presentations from a variety of people who have played a part in the success of reaching phase one of the facility and a ribbon cutting. I talked with several leaders about the work that the AIC will do to deliver crops and processing technologies from bench top to commercialization. Think of the term, crush facility, and you’ll hear more about this staring with Tom Slunecka, Acting AIC CEO. Next we’ll hear from Mike Skaug, AIC Board Member. Finally in this episode you can hear from the AIC Plant Manger, Kent Meyers.

    This was a very interesting day of seeing how all these facilities are helping farmers and also food companies and others. So, as everyone was saying, it looks like it’s time to “crush it.”

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 718 - Grand Opening of the AIC (27:51)

    That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Check out other content from grand opening event in the Ag Innovation Campus Grand Opening Virtual Newsroom.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment, Soybean, ZimmCast

    What’s New in Golden Harvest Soybean Products

    Carrie Muehling

    As Golden Harvest looks to the coming growing season for soybeans, the number 24 rings true. The company is offering 24 new soybean varieties, as well as 24 Gold Series soybean varieties in 2024.

    Soybean Product Manager Ryan Dunsbergen said there are four factors go into Gold Series soybeans, including proprietary genetics, high yield, great disease package, and adaptability.

    Dunsbergen said they’ve seen a plethora of soybean diseases in farm fields this year.

    “We have beans that get diseases like everybody else, but it’s our attention to detail and it’s our ability to be able to screen these new soybean products well and to be able to put them out into the countryside,” he said. “We do not want to be surprised by how our soybean products perform in real world situations.”

    Dunsbergen encouraged farmers to continue to work closely with Golden Harvest agronomists and seed advisors as they plan for next year.

    Ryan Dunsbergen, Golden Harvest Soybean Product Manager
    2023 Farm Progress Show interview with Ryan Dunsbergen, Golden Harvest 3:58

    Audio, Farm Progress Show, Golden Harvest, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta