Truterra Announces New Programs for Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, today announced the launch of four new data-driven regional and crop-specific programs to support farmers as they adopt regenerative growing practices.

The offerings include a long-awaited solution for long-term adopters, Truterra’s first cotton-specific program, first nitrogen management program following a successful pilot and more. These programs build on Truterra’s mission to support farmers wherever they are on their sustainability journey and provide flexible, farmer-friendly programs.

Truterra’s new 2023 sustainability programs include:

Cotton Field Data Management program available for eligible Tennessee farmers to enroll – in exchange for providing field management data and signing a one-year commitment, eligible farmers will receive compensation as well as exposure to the transformative power of data-driven agriculture.

Wheat Field Data Management program is available to eligible farmers in Ohio, Maryland and Kansas at the start of their sustainability journeys, with wheat in rotation between 2018-2023.

Supply Shed Benefits for long-term adopters of sustainable practices. Farmers in Indiana are eligible if they have implemented strip-till or no-till and/or added cover crops on fields with corn. The practice must be in place for crop year 2023, regardless of the date of practice change.

Nitrogen Management Incentive is available for eligible farmers with corn fields in Illinois having met the qualifying practice changes. The program is designed to be flexible in how a farmer may be incentivized, with either the reduction of fertilizer and/or addition of stabilizer.

To learn more about these new programs and the range of Truterra services visit https://www.truterraag.com/enroll.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, regenerative ag

Peanut Farmers Interested in SAF

Cindy Zimmerman

Finding new uses for peanuts is becoming a priority for the industry and there was a lot of interest at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this year in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

“Peanut oil is very suitable for conversion into a jet fuel…to be able to get into that market would be a further use for peanuts and peanut oil in the future,” said Dr. Marshall Lamb, USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Lab.

2023 SPGC - Marshall Lamb, National Peanut Research Lab (2:54)

Also at the conference this year was Nuseed Carinata, which is contracting with farmers to plant a cover crop in the off season that is being utilized for SAF already.

“Our crop is rotated in with peanuts,” said Michelle Howard, Carinata commercial program manager. “You can plant carinata in the early November to mid November time frame and then harvest in April to May…It’s a cover crop that is profitable as well.” Howard says this is the second year they are contracting with growers.

Farmers harvest the carinata and Nuseed buys it from them. “It’s crushed and blended into biodiesel…the oil we produce is actually owned by BP and BP is using it for aviation fuel.”

2023 SPGC - Michelle Howard, Nuseed (2:11)

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, cover crops, Peanuts

Farmerhood Seeks Help for Ukrainian Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Andrew Mullin, Earth Daily Agro, and Kateryna Konashchuk, FARMERHOOD

As a sponsor of Tech Hub LIVE, EarthDaily Agro had the opportunity to introduce attendees to a global charity working to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainian farmers.

FARMERHOOD.org is a charitable collective that includes leading agricultural companies such as Syngenta and Land O’Lakes designed to help the smaller farmers impacted by the ongoing conflict with Russia. “And we offer them seed inputs, crop protection, fuel, repair services for bombed out equipment, as well as a limited amount of cash,” said Andrew Mullin, Earth Daily Agro. “We’re collecting donations from farmers and from agribusinesses to go directly to the farmers in Ukraine, and 95 cents of every dollar collected goes directly to these small farmers.” Ukrainian farmers with up to 1,200 acres (500 hectares) located in regions impacted by war are eligible to receive aid.

Mullin facilitated meetings at Tech Hub LIVE with FARMERHOOD project manager Kateryna Konashchuk, who says these smaller farmers are enduring a second season now of uncertainty and struggle. “They have a lack of different resources and they would like to survive,” said Konashchuk. “They would like to stay on their land with their families because they do not know any other existence other than farming.”

Konashchuk says her husband, who is a civil engineer, is serving in the Ukrainian artillery despite having no experience in the military. “There is no other way to stand for your land and stand for your family,” she said.

Learn more about the situation for farmers in Ukraine and how FARMERHOOD is helping in this interview with Andrew and Kateryna and find out how to donate at FARMERHOOD.com.

2023 Tech Hub LIVE interview with Andrew Mullin, Earth Daily Agro, and Kateryna Konashchuk, FARMERHOOD (15:44)

2023 Tech Hub LIVE Conference and Expo photo album

AgWired Precision, Audio, International, Precision Agriculture, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

Third Tech Hub LIVE Proves Premier Status

Cindy Zimmerman

It was only two years ago that the very first Tech Hub LIVE debuted in Des Moines and already it has proven itself to be the premier event for advancing tech-enabled agriculture.

Meister Media Worldwide chairman and CEO Gary Fitzgerald was very pleased with the success of the event this year. “I’ve been told it’s 25 or 30 percent growth over last year,” said Fitzgerald. “We had great support from industry sponsors and supporting organizations, a full exhibit floor, and an immense amount of content.”

Fitzgerald says they will be returning to Des Moines next year. “It’s a wonderful home, ideally located, for the ag tech ecosystem, the retailer community, and other interested parties to join us here in Des Moines,” he said.

Tech Hub LIVE is powered by the CropLife Media Group®, the nations leading voice for the ag retail industry, in collaboration with the Global AgTech Initiative and AgriBusiness Global™ brands, and organized by parent company Meister Media Worldwide.

Listen to this THL wrap-up interview with Fitzgerald.
2023 Tech Hub LIVE interview with Gary Fitzgerald, Meister Media Worldwide (4:57)

2023 Tech Hub LIVE Conference and Expo photo album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Media, Precision Agriculture, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

Animal Ag News 7/31

Carrie Muehling

  • A new report issued by USDA’s Economic Research Service, Structure, Management Practices, and Production Costs of U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Farms, examines how cow-calf farms compare in terms of adopting advanced technologies, management practices, and production systems.
  • One of Alltech’s mycotoxin research papers has been recognized by Toxins, a prestigious international research journal, as one of three winners of their 2022 Best Paper Awards. The paper, “Co-Occurrence of 35 Mycotoxins: A Seven-Year Survey of Corn Grain and Corn Silage in the United States,” was written by Alltech Mycotoxin Management team members Dr. Alexandra Weaver, global technical support; Nick Adams, global director; and Dr. Alex Yiannikouris, research group director; along with an independent researcher Dr. Daniel Weaver.
  • Cattle ranchers and social media influencers Natalie Kovarik and Brandi Buzzard are two of the mentors set to advise participants in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2023 College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program, which begins on September 11. Registration is now open for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students studying in the U.S., as well as collegiate clubs and classes. Last year, nearly $20,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded to participants.
  • Animal Agriculture Alliance and National Institute for Animal Agriculture announced a working partnership between the two organizations to maximize areas of expertise to ensure sound scientific information about animal agriculture is being communicated effectively to key audiences.
  • For cattle producers and veterinarians concerned about the efficacy of their parasite control programs, Zoetis introduces Valcor (doramectin and levamisole injection), the first and only combination endectocide in the United States designed for use against internal and external parasites in cattle.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed the passage of two congressional resolutions that nullify the Biden administration’s Endangered Species Act listings of the lesser prairie chicken and northern long-eared bat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of these two species undermines on-the-ground, voluntary conservation work and hugely overextends the footprint of the federal government on cattle operations.
  • John Huston of Chicago, Illinois was honored with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board’s third annual Beef Checkoff Visionary Award during the General Session of the 2023 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, California. This award recognizes an individual in the beef industry who has demonstrated exemplary support of and commitment to the Checkoff’s goals and vision.
  • Dutch farmers’ advocate and internationally renowned political commentator, Eva Vlaardingerbroek of Amsterdam, Netherlands, will give a keynote address “The Global War on Farming: Control the Food, Control the People” at R-CALF USA’s 24th Annual National Convention and Trade Show in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Friday, Aug. 18.
  • The National Pork Producers Council released its third quarter pork industry economic update to provide a snapshot of top pork industry issues, current trends, and marketing conditions impacting U.S. pig farmers.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, one of the largest dairy co-ops in the country, announced a pair of changes to its sustainability team. Carrie Carroll has joined the cooperative as director of climate-smart, and Jamie Fisher has been promoted to senior project manager for the cooperative’s climate-smart project.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) announced the recipients of its 2023 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship awards, recognizing outstanding graduate students pursuing research of interest to the U.S. dairy industry. The awards, funded by dairy farmers and their cooperatives, support the next generation of dairy researchers, extension staff, academics and industry professionals.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Rep. Austin Scott Addresses Peanut Growers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    With Congress on summer vacation until September 12, it’s unlikely the September 30 deadline for a new farm bill before the old one expires will be met. But, as Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) told the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, Congress still has to do something.

    “Every five years we write a farm bill, it’s a temporary change to permanent law written in the ’30s and ’40s,” said Scott. “The option of doing nothing doesn’t exist. If you do nothing, you revert to permanent laws that are dust bowl era policies that would destroy the food supply of this country.”

    Scott, who is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, believes the time has come to separate farm programs – ARC, PLC and crop insurance – from SNAP and the other food programs that make up the bulk of a farm bill. “Many of the people in the ag industry have disagreed with me on this, but it’s time to split the bill,” he said.

    Since SNAP benefits are part of permanent law and will continue even if a farm bill does not get passed, Scott suggests making ARC and PLC part of permanent law as well. “And then we need to separate the legislation and do smaller pieces of legislation every other year instead of one super-sized piece of legislation every five years.”

    Scott also expressed disappointment that Congress failed to pass an agriculture appropriations bill last week but found time to have a hearing on UFOs. Listen to his remarks and comments to the media below.

    2023 SPGC - Rep. Austin Scott remarks (13:35)

    2023 SPGC - Rep. Austin Scott media (13:41)

    Photos

    2023 Southern Peanut Growers Conference photo album

    Audio, Farm Bill, Peanuts, SPGC

    Industry Ag News 7/28

    Carrie Muehling

  • Celebrate marketing excellence by submitting your nominations for the NAMA Professional Development Awards by August 1.
  • For more than 40 years, American Farmland Trust (AFT) has been helping preserve millions of farmland acres in the United States. Through its innovative initiatives and partnerships, AFT has advocated for farmers, regenerative agricultural practices and policies, and fostered resilient agricultural communities. Curious Plot announced that it has selected AFT as its 2023 Seed to Succeed recipient and will provide up to $75,000 of pro bono strategic marketing communication support to AFT to help advance its goal and mission.
  • Verdesian Life Sciences announced Clare Doyle as its new Chief Executive Officer. She will take the helm of the company in mid-August.
  • In fall 2022, Troy Schroeder and his management team began to tinker with the organization of client teams at CLUTCH. The founder/CEO of the rapidly growing hybrid consultancy and agency in Minneapolis found that creating teams of a client success person with a program manager resulted in not only a seamless transition, but as the saying goes, a secret sauce. The model has resulted in the hiring of two critically important new program managers at CLUTCH: St. Louis natives Jess LeBoube and Annie Kramer.
  • Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was honored with the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2023 President’s Award during the organization’s annual Corn Congress summer meeting in Washington, D.C.
  • Delegates attending the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Corn Congress, which was held July 20 in Washington D.C., elected four farmers to serve on the organization’s Corn Board. Taking office on Oct. 1, the start of NCGA’s 2024 fiscal year, are new board members Troy Schneider of Colorado, Kelly Nieuwenhuis of Iowa and Bill Leigh of Illinois. Current board member Jed Bower of Ohio was re-elected. All four candidates were elected to three-year terms.
  • Syngenta announced the appointment of Michael Cottingham as Senior Communications Manager for Syngenta North America US Crop Protection, a leading science-based ag tech company that brings plant potential to life.
  • The producer-led organizations representing several of Indiana’s top commodities announced their joint opposition to an amendment introduced by Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) that attacks commodity checkoff programs. The amendment was introduced to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024, the legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  • Mark your calendars and make plans to join the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse for the Ag Outlook Forum. EPA Administrator Michael Regan has joined the speaker lineup.
  • Following last year’s acclaimed Game of Soy-themed booth, Minnesota Soybean is switching it up at this year’s Farmfest, which runs Aug. 1-3, while continuing to showcase how soybean checkoff investments benefit farmers over generations. Minnesota Soybean will again be stationed in booth #620 on the corner of Main and 6th Street. The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council is activating augmented reality, featuring two future farmers, to showcase how today’s checkoff investments in new uses, research and developing markets help impact farm operations and the soybean industry for generations to come. Using smartphones (iPads will also be available), visitors to Minnesota Soybean’s booth can scan, view and listen to a “future farmer” through augmented reality and learn how the checkoff is ‘planting for the future.’
  • Announcing the Livestock Publication Council‘s 2023 Gifts and Giving Online Auction! You can preview the items here. Bidding begins Monday, July 31 at 7 a.m. CT.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    The 2023 Southern Peanut Growers Conference State Updates

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Southern Peanut Growers State ExecutivesAt the start of the Southern Peanut Growers Conference I get a chance to visit with each of the state peanut association executives. This year we have a new Executive Director at the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, Libbie Johnson. Along with her are Ken Barton, Florida Peanut Producers Association, Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission and Malcolm Broome, Mississippi Peanut Growers Association.

    Topics and issues in the states are pretty similar to last year. Each executive director provides an outlook on the peanut crop in their state. The Farm Bill is of higher importance because we’re getting closer to possible new legislation by the end of the year. We’ll be hearing more about it during the conference. Input costs and other factors are making financial difficulties for peanut farmers. Relatively new on the program this year is a discussion on new non-edible uses for peanuts and newer precision agriculture technology. More stories can be found on the SPGC Blog.

    Listen in and hear how things are going in each state.

    2023 SPGC - Libbie Johnson, AL Peanut Producers Association (3:46)

    2023 SPGC - Ken Barton, FL Peanut Producers Association (4:31)

    2023 SPGC - Don Koehler, GA Peanut Commission (6:57)

    2023 SPGC - Malcolm Broome, MS Peanut Growers (5:04)

    2023 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, Peanuts, SPGC

    Tech Hub LIVE Hears From Farmers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    From left – Kyle Daeley, Jason Kieser, Doug Applegate, and Scott Henry

    During this week’s conference and expo in Des Moines, Tech Hub LIVE attendees heard from some farmers in the field about topics such as autonomy, data management, and implementing climate-smart agriculture (CSA).

    Kyle Daeley, Associate Director- Food & Agriculture, Publicis Sapient, moderated the Farmer Panel General Session featuring Jason Kieser, Creekwood Ag, Illinois; Doug Applegate, Applegate Acres, Iowa and Praxidyn; and Scott Henry, LongView Farms, Iowa. All three are actively involved in improving ag technology.

    Kieser, who is CEO of a full-time production row crop operation, believes he will see true autonomous farming in his generation because it is becoming necessary. “Labor’s becoming a tougher thing to find, it’s getting expensive,” said Kieser. “It’s a very real concern….I think it’s going to be necessary to be able to cover the acres we need to cover.”

    When it comes to data management, Henry thinks farmers have somewhat moved on from data privacy concerns and have gotten a little calloused. “I’m probably more willy-nilly with my data now,” he said. “If we’re going to work with you, great, I don’t think you’re going to hurt me.”

    Applegate has been actively involved with AgGateway for more than a decade and he sees the data standardization connections accelerating. “You think about something like ‘what is a field?’. That takes some time to define but everybody needs to have that standardized perception of that,” said Applegate. “Agriculture is complex. It’s like boiling the ocean.”

    Carbon capture and its role in climate smart agriculture is also a hot topic for farmers, especially those who have already been implementing sustainable practices for years.

    Listen to an interview with Applegate here:
    2023 Tech Hub LIVE interview with Doug Applegate, Praxidyn (8:49)

    ag retailers, AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

    2023 Ag Tech Awards of Excellence

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Tech Hub LIVE 2023 honored industry leaders this week with the CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence, part of the Global Ag Tech Initiative. CropLife Media editor Eric Sfiligoj presented the annual awards.

    Legacy Award – Clark Bell, Aqua-Yield

    Clark Bell of Aqua-Yield was presented with the Legacy in Ag Tech Award. Under his leadership, Aqua-Yield has developed a technology unlike anything else in the market, having created its own segment in the world of crop inputs. The company’s award-winning nanoliquid solutions leverage sophisticated nanoparticles to make liquid agricultural products more effective at plant absorption and dramatically increase crop-yield and profits for farmers while enhancing the sustainability of the soil.

    Precision Farmer – Skip Klinefelter

    Precision Farmer of the Year Skip Klinefelter is a lifetime farmer in central Illinois who entered the ag technology business with Precision Seeding Technologies. He then purchased Linco Equipment Company and merged the two companies that created Linco Precision, LLC. Skip has worked with industry leading innovators such as Precision Planting in its early days and Trimble as well as newer technology companies such as Sabanto Autonomy, LeafTech, Farmwave and Augmenta. All these technologies have either been tested, implemented or introduced on Skip’s own farm. Besides using these technologies to advance his own farming enterprise, he has always brought growers to his home farm to share these advances with anyone that has interest, either through group meetings or one-on-one consultation

    Precision Crop Advisor/Entrepreneur – Erich Eller, Forefront Ag Solutions

    The Precision Crop Advisor/Entrepreneur of the Year is Erich Eller. Erich has been involved with production agriculture for most of his life and he started ForeFront Ag Solutions with his wife Jennifer to share new ag technologies with growers to lower costs and improve yields. ForeFront Ag Solutions focuses on helping growers make informed business decisions by providing progressive, science-based data. Located in northeast Indiana, the team focuses on improving production at all points in the season to help lower costs and maximize yields.

    Not present to receive his award in person was Simerjeet Virk with the University of Georgia, who was named Ag Tech Educator/Researcher of the Year. Assistant professor and Extension precision agriculture specialist at UGA, Simerjeet has been involved in research on ag tech in row crops since he arrived in the US in 2010 to pursue his MS at Auburn. His current research is evaluating performance of application technology on sprayers and VRT on fertilizer application equipment to improve application accuracy and placement of pesticides and nutrients.

    Listen to the awards presentation and comments from the winners here:
    2023 Tech Hub LIVE awards presentation (14:31)

    Instead of Tech Hub LIVE, Dr. Simer Virk was at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference last week where he talked about some of the precision ag research he is doing.
    Dr. Simer Virk, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture specialist
    2023 SPGC - Simer Virk, University of Georgia (4:09)

    2023 Tech Hub LIVE Conference and Expo photo album

    AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology