AgGateway’s Jeremy Wilson Could Be Wrong

Cindy Zimmerman

Most people in the precision agriculture space know AgGateway Executive Vice President Jeremy Wilson with his more than three decades of diverse agriculture experience serving farmers including crop insurance, data collection and analysis, systems development, and field agronomy. He could arguably be called the most passionate person in the precision ag industry.

But, he could be wrong. That was the title of Wilson’s presentation at the AgGateway annual meeting this week in Nashville. “I could be wrong (but) I think we’re really struggling at large-scale, complete ag industry data interoperability,” said Wilson.

He sees that issue right now as the most important for the industry to solve. “It’s how can we capitalize on what we did 15-20 years ago on facilitating B2B communications so that processes are streamlined as much as they can be…and how do we bring that all into one system to have seamless interoperability across the ag industry.”

Listen to Jeremy’s presentation and interview below:
2023 AgGateway opening remarks Jeremy Wilson, EVP/COO 19:02
2023 AgGateway interview Jeremy Wilson, EVP/COO 7:10

2023 AgGateway Annual Meeting Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, AI, Audio, Precision Agriculture

AgGateway President’s Award Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

AgGateway president and CEO Brent Kemp presented the President’s Awards at the annual meeting this week to three members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for their work.

Evan Wallace is an electronic engineer in the Systems Engineering Group and has been engaged with AgGateway since the days of the CART project when the Food Safety Modernization Act came out. He also helped rationalize the concepts of the ‘Traceable Resource Unit’ to help arrive at the forthcoming Traceability API. Additionally, he is involved in the emerging ‘Digital Product Passport’ which illustrates a product’s sustainability, environmental and recyclability attributes.
2023 AgGateway interview, Evan Wallace, NIST 2:48

Kemp also recognized Boonserm Kulvatunyou and Hakju Oh from the National Institute of Standards & Technology for outstanding leadership and innovation, resulting in cutting-edge tool development and deployment that advances semantic interoperability in the agriculture industry.

The two researchers led a ground-breaking activity to develop a new methodology and supporting tooling called “connectCenter” (formerly “Score”), which supports the ISO 15000 part 5 Core Component Specification. While the connectCenter addresses requirements across industries, they have responded to AgGateway requests to make connectCenter a more effective tool for the agriculture industry. AgGateway has used connectCenter to develop several resources, including the ADAPT Standard, Dataset Metadata, Scale Ticket, In-Field Product Id, and Product Catalog.

2023 AgGateway Annual Meeting Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture

AgGateway Meeting Explores AI in Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

Brooks Hamilton has been studying artificial intelligence for over 20 years, since “before AI was cool,” and he was the keynote speaker for the opening general session at the AgGateway annual meeting this week in Nashville. His presentation was on the “Seismic Changes” the AI revolution is bringing that will “reshape the industrial fabric.”

Hamilton was thrilled to be able to speak to such an innovative group. “I’ve worked with a number of other industries where they struggle with data challenges and I’ve been especially impressed with the leadership that AgGateway has provided for this industry to go about sorting out some of those thorny issues,” he said.

Hamilton talked about how AI is here and now and companies need to be at least developing a strategy for its use, especially here in agriculture. “For growers, that is going to be related to robotics, however there are all the other operational items – when do I buy, when do I plant, operational questions, transportation, logistics – those are the areas that can be made to be more autonomous and automated,” he said.

Listen to his presentation, which you can also watch on AgGateway’s Facebook page, and an interview with Hamilton below.

2023 AgGateway opening keynote - Brooks Hamilton remarks 57:01
2023 AgGateway interview with Brooks Hamilton 7:33

2023 AgGateway Annual Meeting Photo Album

AgGateway, AgWired Precision, AI, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Animal Ag News 11/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced progress on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) comprehensive approach to address the many, complex competition issues in agricultural markets and create a fairer playing field for small- and mid-size farmers. In support of these efforts, USDA has finalized the first in a series of rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act, which is aimed at helping contract poultry growers compete more effectively and better understand the terms of their agreements with major processing companies.
  • The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded student recruiting grants totaling $297,580 to six U.S. universities with Poultry Science departments and 20 other institutions with industry-related programs. The Foundation provides annual recruiting and retention funds to colleges and universities to attract or connect students to their poultry programs and the industry. The grants were made possible in part by gifts to the USPOULTRY Foundation from companies, individuals and families, in addition to funds earned over the years from the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo.
  • The long-term demand trends for dairy products indicate butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy foods will continue to grow in sales and volume for the foreseeable future. U.S. consumers have shifted away from margarine and reduced fat dairy foods over the last decade as nutritional science surrounding saturated fats has evolved. As a result, butterfat levels in the national milk supply have risen sharply in response to changing demand patterns and dairy market dynamics. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the butterfat boom will continue as the entire dairy supply chain is capturing additional value from milk with higher fat and protein levels. The economic incentives for a supermajority of the nation’s dairy farmers are firmly in place to produce milk with more butterfat.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, the third largest dairy cooperative in the country based on milk volume, hosted a workshop on meaningful milk pricing reform in northwest Iowa. The session aimed to shed light on the cooperative’s efforts to reform the U.S. milk pricing system through the Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing process and legislatively through the farm bill. American Foods Group sponsored the event.
  • Farm Journal Foundation and the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) are launching a new program to support climate-smart grazing practices among Native American cattle farmers and ranchers. The program, which will work in partnership with Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) and the Yield Lab Institute, will offer a combination of direct incentive payments, technical assistance, and education to producers who adopt certain conservation practices on their grazing lands. It will also better enable Native American cattle producers to participate in carbon and branded commodity markets and create pathways to join U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs. This new program, developed through support from the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, officially launched at IAC’s Eastern Oklahoma and Southern Plains Regional Summit.
  • The next NCBA Cattlemen’s Webinar Series event is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 6:00 pm. CST. As winter progresses, winter nutrition, supplementation, and environmental stress on cows are a concern for cattle producers. Proper nutritional management affects the profitability and performance of the cow and her future calf. Hear from beef cattle specialists, Karla Wilke, PhD, University of Nebraska, and Maggie Justice, PhD, University of Arkansas discuss the importance of building a nutrition program and considerations for your operation. Register here.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) strongly opposes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to allow Paraguayan beef imports starting next month. NCBA has repeatedly raised concerns with USDA over Paraguay’s history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and the outdated information used to justify Paraguay’s access to the U.S. market. NCBA is concerned that USDA’s failure to use information from recent site visits in the risk assessment may pose great risk to the safety of the U.S. cattle herd.
  • Experience Cattlemen’s College all week long during CattleCon from Wednesday, January 31st to Friday, February 2nd. Extend the opportunity for education and networking from classroom style sessions to sessions on the trade show floor.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Y-TEX® and Fort Supply Technologies™ Partner for Precision Livestock Management

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Y-TEX and Fort Supply Technologies (FST) are pleased to announce a new alliance to accelerate the availability, use and acceptance of ultra-high frequency (UHF) and low frequency (LF) technologies for the livestock industry. With this alliance producers throughout the livestock supply chain will have increased access to tools to better facilitate traceability at the speed of commerce and to enable more profitable farm to fork livestock management.

    Glenn Nielson, owner and President of Y-TEX Corporation said, “For nearly two decades we have observed FST pioneer livestock traceability solutions. They have a reputation of making livestock tracking work for all segments of the beef supply chain. We are excited about our new alliance and eager to provide solutions that work for our existing and new customers.”

    Nephi Harvey, co-founder and President of FST said, “FST is very pleased with this alliance and the opportunities it affords FST to continue to grow and serve the needs of the livestock industry. This strategic alliance will provide both companies with the ability to positively impact our industry with advanced technology.”

    AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Animal Agriculture, Livestock, Technology

    Industry Ag News 11/10

    Carrie Muehling

  • House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott called to extend the 2018 Farm Bill to offer certainty and support to farmers, ranchers, and foresters as extremism within the House Republican Conference hobbles legislative efforts.
  • Agriculture Deputy Secretary Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is initiating a new effort to further support the U.S. specialty crops sector and increase the competitiveness of its products as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to build new, more and better markets that catalyze opportunity for American farmers.
  • Join NAMA and Doug Foley of Giant Goat on December 7 for a 30-minute session titled “Unlocking AI for Marketing.” This session will dive into the world of AI and, in a short span, discover actionable marketing strategies that can transform the way you view technology. By the end of this session, we promise you’ll see AI not as a daunting tech challenge, but as your next indispensable marketing ally. We genuinely believe this knowledge could be a game-changer for each of our collaborative efforts in the marketing realm.
  • Registration is now open for USDA’s 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. This landmark event, titled “Cultivating the Future,” will be held in person at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va., on February 15-16, 2024. All Forum sessions will also be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
  • Co-chairs of the Agricultural Labor Working Group, Reps. Rick Crawford (AR-01) and Don Davis (NC-01), released an interim report on the activities of the Working Group and the issues identified from a series of roundtables conducted over the past four months.
  • University of Florida scientists plan to utilize $2 million from an initiative by UF President Ben Sasse for a Crop Transformation Center to help Florida farmers improve production of citrus and specialty crops.
  • JCB, the world’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment, has created an exciting chance for two lucky rodeo fans. The Ultimate Rodeo Experience offers individuals the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a round trip for two to Arlington, TX for the American Rodeo at Globe Life Field on March 9, 2024. Entries are being accepted now through January 31, 2024 at JCBRodeoExperience.com.
  • Syngenta received multiple awards during the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov. 1-4. David Hollinrake, global head of strategy & portfolio management at Syngenta Seeds, was awarded a VIP Citation. The Syngenta FFA Alumni & Supporters Business Resource Group chapter was selected as the outstanding corporate chapter of the year and two Syngenta employees were recognized with Honorary American FFA Degrees. These awards are a reflection of Syngenta’s ongoing commitment to support the future of American agriculture.
  • SYNLawn Mountain West announced its innovative new partnerships with the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (SDSRPC) and two higher education institutions, South Dakota State University (SDSU) and South Dakota Mines.
  • American Agri-Women (AAW) recently elected its national officers at its 2023 national convention in Sacramento, Calif. AAW, a national coalition of farm, ranch, and agri-business women, is in its 49th year of advocating for agriculture. Serving as American Agri-Women’s 25th President is Rose Tryon, of California Women for Agriculture, after serving as First Vice President.
  • The FPAA (Fresh Produce Association of the Americas) shared the success of their inaugural expo, a recent enhancement to their well-known FPAA Convention, which just concluded its 54th consecutive year. Now known as the Southwest International Produce Expo, or SWIPE, the event, held at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort last week, attracted more than 500 attendees, buyers and exhibitors to Tucson, Arizona.
  • As both the scientific community and consumers continue to recognize the significance of gut health and its impact on overall wellness, Acutia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alltech, has announced the launch of Acutia Gut Health. The daily supplement combines the synergistic power of a postbiotic, a prebiotic and L-glutamine to relieve digestive upset quickly and promote good gut health over time.
  • A nearly half-a-million-dollar grant will allow Auburn University professors and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station researchers to help blueberry growers in states like Alabama where growing the fruit has its challenges. Funded by a $497,827 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the project is titled “Expanding Southern highbush blueberries to underserved regions of the Southeastern U.S.” and is being conducted by Assistant Professor Sushan Ru and Professor Elina Coneva, both from the Department of Horticulture, alongside collaborators at the University of Florida, North Carolina State University, University of Delaware, and USDA-Southern Horticultural Laboratory.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    ZimmCast 721 – AWIS Winter Weather Ag Forecast Services

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    In this episode I’m going to share a timely interview. You’ll hear my conversation with Karl Harker, Vice President for Operations, Agricultural Weather Information Service. AWIS is advertising on AgNewsWire to reach new prospects for their services. That’s what we’ll be talking about as we approach winter which is a very important one for all types of farmers and those who provide them with weather information.

    The ZimmComm Team has been very busy this fall so far but we’ve still got a lot on the calendar before the end of the year. If you enjoy the ZimmCast let me know if you would like to sponsor the program or have ideas of topics or interviews you’d like to hear.

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 721 - AWIS Winter Weather Ag Forecast Services (11:32)

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

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Weather, ZimmCast

    RFA Launches Veterans for Renewable Fuels Project

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The ethanol industry has a lot to celebrate this Veterans Day – including 15 percent of its workforce.

    The Renewable Fuels Association is honoring its veterans this year by launching “Veterans for Renewable Fuels” (VRF), a new program to recognize and celebrate the contributions of military veterans in the industry and provide them with opportunities to network and support one another in their careers and personal lives.

    “We are extremely proud to unveil the VRF initiative just in time for Veterans Day,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper, who served on active duty as an Army captain specializing in bulk petroleum supply and logistics. “When women and men in uniform leave the military and start searching for jobs, they want more than a paycheck. They’re looking for rewarding work and they want to join a team of dedicated professionals focused on a common mission. Many veterans have found just what they’re looking for in the ethanol industry, and we are truly honored to have them in our midst.”

    Learn more about VRF in this interview with RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper.
    VRF interview with RFA CEO Geoff Cooper 12:18

    Including Cooper, the veterans initiative is being led by five military veterans who are on staff or in leadership positions in the RFA. They include RFA Board Vice Chair and Aztalan Bio CEO Jeff Oestmann, RFA board member and president of Trenton Agri-Products Tony Leiding, RFA Director of Environment, Health and Safety Justin Schultz, and Robert White, RFA’s Senior VP of Industry Relations and Market Development.

    Hear from all of them in this edition of the Ethanol Report – and a huge thank you to them for their service!
    Ethanol Report 11-10-23 22:03

    Audio, Ethanol, RFA

    Adapt-N Focuses on Growing Integration Network

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Yara’s premier nitrogen management software Adapt-N has served agronomists for more than 10 years to support critical efforts in maximizing nitrogen investment and efficiency. Now, the company announces Adapt-N will focus efforts on building its integration network and will no longer offer direct interface access starting January 1, 2024 in order to provide long-term benefits and better suit the needs of growers.

    “At Yara, we believe that nitrogen use efficiency represents one of the most significant opportunities to maximize grower profitability, optimize crop productivity and minimize environmental impact of farming,” said Molly Biedenfeld, vice president U.S. East sales and marketing. “It is this belief that has motivated us to expand Adapt-N’s FMIS partner network, which we’re confident will enable a better experience for our current users, while also ensuring the state-of-the-art nitrogen management technology is easily accessible to new users.”

    Currently, Adapt-N is already available in Proagrica, Ever.Ag, and MyFarms. Other management systems are currently in progress to include the tool in the immediate future. The Yara Adapt-N team is actively providing support to its user base to ensure a smooth transition.

    “This transition will give our current and future users even more tools to maximize their nitrogen investment with increased data insights from our integration partners, while also putting the recommendations at their fingertips through the FMIS they are using daily,” said Matt Sweeney, sales and marketing manager, Yara Adapt-N. “We are very committed to ensuring this transition is smooth for our current users and will work together with them, while also actively building our FMIS partnerships to extend support to new users.”

    Learn more at www.yara.us/.

    AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Soil

    Precision Ag News 11/9

    Carrie Muehling

  • Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are leaving no stone—or rather, leaf—unturned in their search for new ways to counter the fungus that causes tar spot, a yield-robbing disease of field corn in the midwestern United States. Several research studies have demonstrated that some strains of Alternaria alternata are effective biocontrol organisms that can reduce the damage caused by plant pathogens, said Eric Johnson, a research molecular biologist with the ARS center’s Crop Bioprotection Research Unit in Peoria. Details on the biocontrol potential of the tar spot fungus’s natural rivals were published in the June 2023 issue of the journal Microorganisms by Johnson and co-authors Pat Dowd, Jose Ramirez and Robert Behle—all with the ARS center’s Crop Bioprotection Research Unit in Peoria.
  • MyLand, A Soil Health Company, announced that Jeff Tuel has joined the growing MyLand team as Director of Sales to expand the company’s service among growers in California and the Western United States.
  • National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) geared up for the tenth edition of the Fields-of-Corn.com photo contest with an exciting relaunch. The website underwent a streamlined transformation, designed to pay homage to the captivating history of visual storytelling. Alongside this, a more user-friendly interface has been implemented to streamline the submission process.
  • Bayer reinforces its commitment to digital farming solutions for the transition to regenerative agriculture at this year’s Agritechnica, an international showcase for the agricultural machine industry. The life science company presents a comprehensive set of innovative solutions leveraging precision farming through data and artificial intelligence at the trade fair, taking place November 12-18 in Hanover, Germany.
  • Wheat stem sawflies are non-stinging wasp-like insects that cause wheat yield losses across the U.S. Sawflies previously targeted spring wheat crops; however, these pests have recently emerged in Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska, suggesting that it is evolving to feed on winter wheat crops as well. To address this growing threat, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded a $150,000 Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) program grant to Colorado State University to increase crop resistance to wheat stem sawfly. Colorado State University, the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee and the University of Nebraska provided matching funds for a $300,000 total investment.
  • Trace Genomics and EarthOptics are collaborating to introduce a new level of accuracy in carbon measurement, with fast-track turnaround of results to customers.
  • Kula Bio, a company offering a sustainable nitrogen replacement solution for crop and turf production, is pleased to announce that Hugh MacGillivray has joined the company as chief commercial officer. In his new position, MacGillivray is responsible for bringing to market Kula-N, a high-performance, cost effective nitrogen source.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture