FMC’s Investment in Farming’s Future

Jamie Johansen

ffa-14-3-editedOver the past couple of years FMC has put a strong emphasis on investing in farming’s future. Here at the 87th National FFA Convention they are asking students to step into their sound booth and share what investing in farming’s future means to them. Following the convention FMC will create a mashup of the students audio to share with their industry partners about where the future of agriculture is headed through the eyes of high schoolers.

FMC’s support for the next generation of agriculturalists is nothing new. They also provide internships in sales, marketing, tech support and product development. All while helping to bring new solutions to farming and agriculture.

FMC is also sponsor of the Agriscience Research Plant Systems Proficiency Award. “We look at this as another opportunity for us to give back to the community and to help with the growth of the future of agriculture.” They also give support to FFA chapters in local FMC communities.

Listen to my complete interview with Matt here:Interview with Matt Thompson - FMC

Find all our photos from the event here: 87th National FFA Conventions Photo

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, Audio, FFA, FMC

Weather Impacts on Corn Soybean Yield & Trading

Chuck Zimmerman

Kyle TapleyWith a session topic on how environmental constraints impact crop yield and trading you’d think this would take a long time. However, at the Bayer CropScience 2014 Corn and Soybean Future Forum Kyle Tapley, MDA Information Systems, got the job done in a short time frame.

The focus was on weather and Kyle made a few statements that caught my attention after receiving several press releases from activists who want to blame single weather incidents on man made climate change. Kyle told us that “It is impossible to tie a single event to climate change.” I couldn’t agree more. He says we’ve always had extreme weather and we always will. For many of us more seasoned folks we remember living through very different weather extremes going back 50 years.

Listen to Kyle’s remarks here to get some more specific take-aways on his topic: Kyle Tapley Presentation

2014 Bayer CropScience Corn & Soybean Future Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Weather

FFA – You are the Future

Jamie Johansen

ffa-14-89-editedAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to FFA members in attendance for one of the opening sessions at the 87th National FFA Convention & Expo this morning. He speaks at many different venues, but said this audience is the hardest because he is following young people who are very well spoken, don’t use any notes and never skip a beat.

“This is the future of agriculture and that future is bright. Over 600,000 members in this organization in rural areas and urban. I think it is important for me to talk to the leadership, to hear their concerns about whether or not we are going to have enough educators to lead and guide chapters, whether we are going to continue to have the productivity in American and global agriculture that will meet the challenges of global food security, whether we can continue to do the job that we have been doing in partnership with FFA and other organizations to deal with the hunger issue in the United States.” Vilsack Remarks to FFA

Following the sessions Vilsack addressed members of the media. A few of the topics questioned include WOTUS and the potential idea floated for a new beef checkoff. Listen to the complete press conference here: Press Conference - Ag Secy Tom Vilsack

Find all our photos from the event here: 87th National FFA Conventions Photo

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Ag Groups, Audio, FFA, FMC, USDA

The Old Picnic Grounds

Melissa Sandfort

IMG_8185Every place has a story. Where I live now, you can find graves in the pasture marked by just a single wooden post surrounded by a pile of rocks. It’s said there are actual dinosaur bones entrenched in one of the beaches of the lake. There’s a hill of chalk rock where generations of families, lovers and children have carved their names or initials.

And there’s an old “dugout” where four horse thieves (two men and two “fancy ladies”) used to hide out. It was on Michael Mousel’s land, my mother-in-law’s great-grandfather. He offered them a $25 gold piece and gold pocket watch for the claim on the land, went up to Stockville (the county seat) 27 miles on horseback – only to find out they were squatters and had never homesteaded the place. By the time he got back they were long-gone.

This past Sunday, we took a hay rack ride along the creek and up and over the hills by our house. But first, the group of 20 stopped at the old picnic grounds which has been there since the 1800s. Many a campfire has been built here and the tradition remains. Using a “Tractor House” magazine as kindle, the men lit the fire and we roasted hot dogs, had s’mores and enjoyed the falling leaves by the creek. We didn’t stay long enough to tell horse stories as dusk, but there’s always another night.

We ended the afternoon with the kids gathering turkey feathers and cow bones and eating Oreo cookies. What a great end to a wonderful day’s story.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Serbian Ag Journalists Celebrate Ten Years

Chuck Zimmerman

AgroPressOur friends in the Serbian Association of Agricultural Journalists, AGROPRESS, recently celebrated the organization’s 10th anniversary. That celebration included a tour that began in the Serbian village of Crepaja. The event opened at the modern farm FOTOS (Member of Almex Company) that has more than 300 heifer calves of the Holstein breed.

After a farm tour in Crepaja, the anniversary AGROPRESS awards event was held. The President of AGROPRESS, Goran Djakovic, addressed guests by saying that his organization over the past 10 years has hosted more than 100 tours and events, several significant programs and projects, some of which are best known for general public workshops for rural women entitled “Women Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness ” and a food and drinks fair, “Weekend of good taste”. Since 2008, the Association held the National Conference on “Agribusiness Serbia” and possibilities of improving our country’s agriculture, which brings a huge influx of money from exporting products.

You can see a list of award winners here.

IFAJ, International, Media

The Best Time Ever in Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Lowell CatlettThe eternal optimist, Dr. Lowell Catlett, spoke to the attendees at the Bayer CropScience 2014 Corn and Soybean Future Forum. As a futurist this was the perfect place to hear his outlook.

Dr. Catlett thinks this is the best time ever for the agriculture industry and that includes corn and soybean production. This was a key take away from his remarks. The demand for more food and food choices is being driven by a global increase in wealth.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Catlett here: Interview with Dr. Catlett

Excerpt from Dr. Lowell Catlett: Dr. Lowell Catlett Remarks

2014 Bayer CropScience Corn & Soybean Future Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer

Alltech Founder to Receive 2014 Henry Clay Medallion

John Davis

alltech-p-lyonsThe founder of a company that improves the health and performance of people, animals and plants through natural nutrition and scientific innovation will be honored with an award that recognizes individuals of exceptional merit. Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, will receive the 2014 Henry Clay Medallion for Distinguished Service.

The Henry Clay Medallion recognizes, honors and celebrates individuals of exceptional merit who share characteristics of the life and work of the great Kentucky statesman, Henry Clay. Senators, Speakers of the House, royalty and business visionaries are among the list of distinguished past recipients.

Lyons was selected for his accomplishments within Kentucky as well as for bringing the best of Kentucky to the attention of people throughout the United States and around the world. Lyons founded Alltech in Kentucky in 1980 with $10,000, and it is now a $1 billion company operating in 128 countries with more than 3,500 employees.

Wherever his frequent travels take him, Lyons brings along Kentucky, promoting the region as an ideal place to live, visit and do business. His enthusiasm for the state extends to a number of community and education-focused initiatives, such as the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, which annually awards more than a half-million dollars in University of Kentucky Opera Theatre scholarships; a commitment with his wife, Deirdre Lyons, the director of Alltech’s corporate image and design, to construct at least one Kentucky primary school laboratory each year; and an annual Innovation Competition that sets Kentucky university business teams against one another to promote economic growth within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Check out Chuck’s conversation with Lyons during this year’s annual Alltech Symposium.

Alltech

Bayer CropScience Dedicated to Corn & Soybeans

Chuck Zimmerman

Mathias Kremer Bayer CropScienceProviding the welcome address at the 2014 Bayer CropScience Corn & Soybean Future Forum is Mathias Kremer, Head of Strategy. In his comments Mathias talks about the company outlook for the growth of the corn and soybean markets. Additionally, he says they are investing a billion euros in research and development.

Listen to my interview with Mathias to hear a few of his take-aways: Interview with Mathias Kremer

You can listen to his comments here: Mathias Kremer Welcome Address

Attendees also got to ask a few questions of Mathias after his presentation: Mathias Kremer Q&A

2014 Bayer CropScience Corn & Soybean Future Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Crop Protection, Crop Science, Soybean

Go All Out! at the 87th National FFA Convention

Jamie Johansen

DSC_0854The streets of Louisville, KY are flooded with FFA members from across the country here to attend the 87th National FFA Convention & Expo. The largest youth organization currently have over 600,000 members and their mission of Premier Leadership, Personal Growth and Career Success is modeled in all the organization does for the future of the agricultural industry.

Day one of the event is well underway and I just sat down with Western Region Vice President, Jason Wetzler. He shared what the last year of service has meant to him and how the convention’s theme of “Go All Out” has influenced him.

“People call this our year of service. But as we stand here on stage, my teammates and I really think of everyone else here. I really just hope whether it’s their first convention or their last that they leave here and try and make the world a better place.”

“To me the theme embodies the work ethic behind agriculturist. Each one of my teammates will tell you something different, but for me it’s waking up before the sun, working those 48 hour shifts that us farmers are really familiar with and something that is everyday for us. At the end of our session today we remind them that Go All Out isn’t just something we do here at convention nor something we do every once in a while. It has to be the way we live our lives and agriculture has truly embodied that.”

Listen to my complete interview with Jason here: Interview with Jason Wetzler, Western Region Vice President

Find all our photos from the event here: 87th National FFA Conventions Photo

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Ag Groups, Audio, Education, FFA, FMC

Propane Powered Engines for Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

2014 World LP Gas Forum Photo Album

perc-ag-enginesThe new Tier 4 emission standards for diesel engines have opened up new opportunities for propane in the agricultural engine market.

At the World LP Gas Forum in Miami this week, Propane Education and Research Council agricultural director Cinch Munson talked about how they have worked with OEMs to develop and commercialize new engines for ag applications, especially irrigation. “Since 2009, we’ve brought a number of new engines to the market,” said Munson. “A new industrial propane engine will cost about half of a new Tier 4 diesel engine and then cost about 56% less to run that engine.”

On display at the forum were an 8.8 liter PSI engine and a 9.1 liter Origin engine which are new to the market. Pete Stout with Origin Engines says they went to farmers and asked them what they wanted. “The adage they gave us is ‘there’s no replacement for displacement,'” he said. “They want large displacement, low speed engines that are designed to run on propane.”

Jeremy Lessaris with PSI Engines said they also worked with PERC to first develop smaller engines for irrigation. “We kept moving up the horsepower and torque band, up to 5.7 and now into the 8.8,” said Lessaris. “We’ve seen newer markets where the requirement for irrigation is much bigger, in California where they have large diesels pumping a lot of water…so we went from the 8.8 liter all the way up to 22 liters.”

PERC has a Propane Farm Incentive Program under which up to $5,000 can be available for farmers to switch to propane irrigation. In addition, states such as California and Nebraska have additional incentive programs.

Listen to Cinch, Pete and Jeremy talk about propane engines for ag here and see what they are talking about in the video below: PERC and Propane Engines for Ag


Audio, Energy, Irrigation, PERC, Propane, Video