In the John Deere Green Room

Cindy Zimmerman

deere-14-green-roomWhen John Deere launches new products every year, the most important people to tell about them are the dealers, and that includes the latest digital offerings.

At the recent John Deere product launch, dealers learned a lot about the MyJohnDeere Operations Center with new tools for farmers to manage their machinery and develop agronomic insights. Ashley Hanold was one of the product managers with John Deere who gave dealers and media a look inside the operations center in a room that was pretty John Deere green.


2015 John Deere Product Launch Photo Album

John Deere, Video

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GOP Ag Commissioners say “Ditch the Rule”

Leah Guffey

logoMembers of the Republican Agriculture Commissioners Committee hosted a conference call Monday to discuss the impact of federal overreach on agriculture in the United States and back the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) in calling for the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule to be withdrawn.

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain says regulation of resources is best done from the ground up. “Many of the laws passed by Congress, especially the Clean Water Act, specifically state that the primary jurisdiction is within the states themselves,” said Stain.

“The reality is, we’re being regulated to death,” said Doug Goehring, Commissioner of Agriculture for North Dakota, who offered the action item on WOTUS to the NASDA annual meeting last week. “When we have over 4500 new regulations that have come through different agencies on the federal level, you’ve got to wonder, what are they being designed for?”

Also speaking on behalf of RACC were Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, and South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers.

You can listen to the conference call here: Press call with Republican Ag Commissioners on WOTUS

Audio, Environment

Conservation Innovation Grants Announced

Leah Guffey

During a visit to a farm in Moline, Illinois Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $15.7 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 47 organizations that will help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to accelerate innovation in private lands conservation, funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Almost half of the grants announced support the agency’s priority of getting more conservation on the ground by improving the health of our nation’s soils. The National Corn Growers Association will receive almost $1 million to promote soil management practices aimed at improving productivity, profitability and environmental outcomes in seven states. The National Association of Conservation Districts will receive $750,000 to fund a project to significantly increase the number of farmed acres nationwide (including Illinois) that are successfully managed for soil health. Other organizations, tribes and academic institutions will receive funding for conservation projects.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason Weller discussed the new grants during a press conference on Monday – listen to him here: Press Conference with Jason Weller, NRCS

Audio, Conservation, USDA

Missouri Right To Farm Prevails in Recount

Cindy Zimmerman

mo-right-to-farmThe recount is complete for Amendment 1, the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment, and the very close Aug. 5 election results have been upheld.

“It changed slightly but the original result does stand,” said Mike Deering, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association executive vice president. “Amendment One has passed in the state of Missouri, forever guaranteeing Missouri farmers and ranchers the right to do just that – farm and ranch.”

The recount picked up a few more no votes on the amendment with passage by less than 2400 votes out of nearly a million cast.

Interview with Mike Deering, Missouri Cattlemen's Association
Ag Groups, Audio

NAMA Announces Professional Development Awards of Excellence

Jamie Johansen

namaThe National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has named four recipients of the 2014 Professional Development Awards of Excellence. These awards honor NAMA members based on outstanding achievement in four professional development areas including: marketing communications, public relations, product/species management and sales.

Award winners include:
Marketing Communications Award of Excellence
Ryan Rarking, marketing communications manager, Beck’s Hybrids
Public Relations Award of Excellence
Lisa Adams, principal, public relations, Sage Virtual Communications
Product/Species Management Award of Excellence
Kelly Smith, product management administrator, Kuhn North American, Inc.
Sales Award of Excellence
Gary Vorpahl, Hoard’s Dairyman

These professional development awards of excellence will be presented at the 2014 NAMA Fall Conference in Chicago, IL. The honorees will receive their awards during a morning session on Wednesday, September 17, at The Hotel Chicago. For more information on the Professional Development Awards visit, http://nama.org/awards/pdaawards.htm.

Ag Groups, NAMA

The New John Deere 9R/9RT Series Tractors

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere 9R SeriesZimmGlass got a good look at the new John Deere 9R/9RT Tractors at the recent 2015 Products Launch. In this video you’ll learn about the features of this new series of 4-wheel drive tractors and see from my view as I test drive one. Note to self: Do not try to video tape your driving experience while driving. Not easy! Especially when you have not had any recent experience with articulated steering.

Large-scale farmers who need to cover a lot of acres under tough conditions need a high-horsepower, no-nonsense tractor with a large, comfortable cab that works as hard as they do. The new 9R/9RT Series from John Deere gives them exactly that.

The new 9R/9RT Series Tractors feature more horsepower across all models and industry-leading hydraulic capacity in durable, articulated four-wheel-drive and track tractor platforms. These machines are ideal for row-crop applications and large-acre small-grain operations with tough field conditions and hillside terrain, as well as the high-performance demands of the scraper market.
The 9R/9RT Series features 10 models with wheels and six tracked models to meet any farming or land management need.

You can learn more about the new series of tractors here.


2015 John Deere Product Launch Photo Album

Agribusiness, John Deere, Video

Mark Your Calendars for New LPC Event

Jamie Johansen

lpc logoThe Livestock Publications Council is hosting their first ever event designed to celebrate the livestock industry through education and honor those who have made an impact in it. Vision – An Industry Celebration, will take place November 11, 2014 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

There they will honor the Headliner and Hall of Fame winners at a fine dinner and celebrate the announcement of the 2015 honorees. A panel of experts will also explore the importance of animal welfare issues in today’s world of agriculture and look into critical issues ranging from social concerns to economics and marketing.

Panelists will include:
Dr. Hans Coetzee – Professor of Vet Clinical Pharmacology, Iowa State University
Debbie Lyons-Blythe – Rancher, wife & mom
Steve Meyer – President of Paragon Economics and consultant to National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council
Moderator, Mike Adams – Host of syndicated radio show AgriTalk

Ag Groups, Livestock, LPC

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  • Don Norton, Boelte-Hall, Roeland Park, Kansas, was elected to serve the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) as its president for 2014-2015.
  • The Scoular Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Winona Feed and Grain, Inc. of Winona, Kan.
  • ADAMA, a world leader in customer-focused agricultural solutions, announced today that NIMITZ, a novel, non-fumigant nematicide with simplified application features and unmatched user safety, has received federal registration from the EPA.
  • Paulsen announces three agency leadership changes that, along with a redesigned brand and website, signal a new era for one of the nation’s top 10 agrimarketing firms.
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USFRA Names Finalist for Faces of Farming & Ranching

Jamie Johansen

USFRAU.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) announced the finalists of its next class of Faces of Farming and Ranching, a nationwide search to help put real faces on agriculture.

The following farmers and ranchers were named finalists:
Erin Brenneman, Iowa
Jay Hill, N.M.
Carrie Mess, Wis.
Thomas Titus, Ill.
Darrell Glaser, Texas
Brian Jones, Texas
Jessica Potter, Colo.
Carla Wardin, Mich.

Applications were received from dedicated farmers and ranchers from across the nation. Winners will share their stories and experiences about how food is grown and raised in the U.S. on a national stage through media interviews, consumer-facing public appearances and events. This is the second time USFRA has sought farmers and ranchers to speak on behalf of the industry in this capacity.

“These finalists are truly passionate about the work they do every day to grow food for our nation,” said Randy Krotz, chief executive officer of USFRA. “These exceptional farmers and ranchers will bring consumers, media and influencers a first-hand perspective of how food gets from the farm or ranch to the dinner table.”

Beginning October 24 through November 2, people can visit USFRA’s Facebook Page and/or website to learn more about each of the finalists and the work they do, including short videos highlighting their operation. From there, the public can vote for whom they believe best represents the breadth of farmers and ranchers across the country who work to bring food to our tables. These votes will be factored into the final decision to determine the next Faces of Farming and Ranching.

Winners will be announced on November 12, 2014, during a press conference at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention (NAFB) in Kansas City.

Ag Groups, USFRA