Ten Students Chosen to Attend AgGateway Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Ten outstanding college students have been selected to attend the AgGateway Annual Conference November 13-15 in Nashville through the Gateway to Ag Careers program, sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable.

The ten recipients represent nine different academic institutions from across the country:
• Justin Allange, Purdue University
• Fei Xyza Asuncion, Kansas State University
• Zach Bartkoski, Northwest Missouri State University
• Coleman Byers, University of Georgia
• Clara Cobb, Mississippi State University
• Jacob Dempsey, Arizona State University
• Mac Hass, Iowa State University
• Phillip Lanza, Cornell University
• Ryanna Tiejie, The Ohio State University
• Kelsey Vourazeris, Arizona State University

At the Conference, the students will make individual presentations at a special session during the conference to share their work, ambitions, and interests in the agriculture industry.

AgGateway, Agribusiness, Education

USDA Announces Trade and Food Aid

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $2.3 billion to help American producers maintain and develop markets for their commodities and use U.S. commodities to bolster international food aid.

Consistent with a bipartisan request from the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, USDA is utilizing funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to address challenges related to trade and food insecurity impacting U.S. farmers and the international community. USDA will use $1.3 billion for the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program and support for specialty crop industries to diversify export markets and $1 billion to help address global hunger.

Secretary Vilsack announced the aid in a press call Tuesday morning.
USDA call 10-24-23 30:54

Audio, Exports, Food, Trade, USDA

Animal Ag News 10/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Livestock Publications Council (LPC) annually inducts one of its distinguished leaders into the Hall of Fame. This honor is reserved for those who have adhered to high standards of professionalism in all aspects of their endeavors. LPC’s Headliner Award Program, inaugurated in 1980, salutes an individual for meritorious service to the livestock industry. The award annually honors a person from outside the livestock communications field for actions that produce a positive change in livestock production and marketing. The nomination deadline for both awards is December 1, 2023.
  • The National Institute for Animal Agriculture will host the 13th Annual Antibiotics Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia from November 7-9, 2023. This year’s theme for Symposium is Thriving in a Changing Landscape.
  • Registration is now open for Feed Mill of the Future Conference, the key industry event for top feed professionals looking at market impacts to come. The 2024 half-day event is scheduled for January 30, 2024, organized in partnership with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).
  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is now accepting applications for the 2024 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry. The application deadline is Nov. 10, 2023, at midnight Central Time.
  • The 31st annual Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, will be held in conjunction with CattleCon24, January 31-February 2, in Orlando, Florida. This premier educational experience draws more than 1,000 attendees every year and includes networking, idea sharing and informative sessions.
  • First-generation ranchers Rusty and Shannon Wharton were recognized as this year’s Sustainability Award recipients from Certified Angus Beef. A mix of puzzle pieces built over time helped the Wharton’s carve out their own place in the cattle business.
  • The dairy checkoff has awarded 12 academic scholarships to students enrolled in programs that emphasize dairy and who have shown potential to become future dairy leaders. The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff, annually awards $2,500 scholarships to 11 students. In addition, the NDB awards a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding scholarship recipient. Kylie Konyn, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student who is majoring in dairy science, has earned the 2023-24 Loper scholarship.
  • Concluding the first International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) held in the United States in 30 years, more than 1,240 dairy leaders from 55 countries celebrated IDF’s 120th anniversary and highlighted dairy’s innovations, market opportunities and contributions to global sustainability, food security and more.
  • USPOULTRY’s 2023 Live Production, Welfare and Biosecurity Seminar provided attendees with perspectives on biosecurity and safeguarding flock health, particularly in the light of the ongoing threat presented by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Additional topics covered water sanitation, on-farm food safety testing, antimicrobial stewardship, biosecurity audits and more.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced the theme of its 2024 Stakeholders Summit: “Ready, Set, Solve! Advancing Animal Agriculture.” The 2024 Summit is set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo. Speaking proposals for the event are being accepted through November 22. Interested speakers can submit their proposals at https://bit.ly/AAA24RFP. Registration for the event will open in January.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 10/20

    Carrie Muehling

  • The combination of high interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar is beginning to take a disproportionate toll on rural industries like agriculture, forest products, mining and manufacturing. Most international transactions are still conducted in dollars, and a strong dollar makes U.S. exports more expensive and imports cheaper. That disproportionally hurts the backbone of the rural economy, according to a new quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange.
  • Steve Cobb, of Lake City, Arkansas, has been selected as the overall winner of the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award for 2023.
  • The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) announced the appointment of seven highly regarded global food industry and academic experts to its Board of Directors. These new members bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and diverse perspectives that will further contribute to organization’s strategic mandate.
  • Syngenta Group’s Board of Directors has elected Jeff Rowe as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Syngenta Group, effective January 1, 2024. Rowe is currently President, Syngenta Crop Protection, Syngenta Group’s largest business unit. Erik Fyrwald, Syngenta Group CEO, will continue as CEO until the end of the year, when he will retire after seven and a half years with the company. He will continue as Advisor to the Chairman of Syngenta Group and remain on the Board of Directors. In addition, Hengde Qin has been named Chief Financial Officer of Syngenta Group, effective Dec 1, 2023. He will succeed Chen Lichtenstein, who has been CFO since the creation of Syngenta Group and will be stepping down to pursue other business opportunities.
  • The Soy Innovation Challenge to find new and novel uses for soybean meal is now accepting applications. This year’s deadline is Nov. 6, 2023.
  • Saying fertilizer shortages are creating a hardship for farmers across the U.S., the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) – along with 62 other agricultural groups, including state corn grower organizations – sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo calling on her to consider the current difficulties faced by farmers as she recalculates duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco.
  • Kubota Tractor Corporation and Trackhouse Racing announced the Nos. 1 and 99 Chevrolets will continue to carry the familiar Kubota orange paint scheme in races in the 2024 and 2025 NASCAR Cup Series seasons. With the sponsorship extension, Kubota also continues as the Official Tractor Company of Trackhouse Racing after serving as a primary sponsor on the team’s Chevrolets the last two seasons.
  • The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) program continues to thrive as a resource for educating children about connections to agriculture. The program received funding to continue classroom lessons thanks to IAA Foundation grants to local county coalitions. Eighty coalitions serving 89 Illinois counties were awarded $647,000 in grant dollars which can be used for materials, training, educational lessons, and activities taking place during the 2023-2024 school year.
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    ZimmCast 720 – Ag Web Domain Sale and More

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    In this episode we’re going to learn about special sale of agriculture focused website domains being sold by Dave Larson of Larson Ent. LLC. There are a number of categories and I’ll let him tell you about what is available.

    After that I’m going to share my wrap-up interview of the 2023 NAMA Fall Conference with John Rozum, AEM and current President of NAMA. It was a well attended and successful conference.

    It’s that fall time of year when the woods are calling me. In fact, I’ll be in the woods starting this weekend for a few days for my annual deer hunt and I’m looking forward to getting some more venison in the freezer. Can’t wait.

    Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 720 - Ag Web Domain Sale and More (12:31)

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

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Audio, Marketing, NAMA, Technology, ZimmCast

    Precision Ag News 10/18

    Carrie Muehling

  • As cornfields suffer crop damage caused by weather, corn producers can use geospatial and remote sensing technologies to get a more accurate measurement of the damage and estimate potential economic loss, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Agronomy.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued more than $1.77 billion this year to agricultural producers and landowners through its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a critical piece of the Department’s efforts to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry on working lands. Right now, CRP’s more than 667,000 participants received payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their voluntary conservation efforts on more than 23 million acres of private land. Since 2021, CRP has grown by 21 percent in terms of acres enrolled, testament to the Biden-Harris administration’s program improvement efforts.
  • On UN World Food Day, Bayer announced the introduction of its direct-seeded rice (DSR) system at the 6th International Rice Congress in Manila. Moving from transplanted puddled rice cultivation to direct-seeded rice can help farmers to reduce water use by up to 40 percent, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 45 percent and reduce farmers’ dependence on scarce and costly manual labor by up to 50 percent. The introduction of the DSR system is fully in line with Bayer’s recently announced approach to regenerative agriculture which will enable farmers to produce more while restoring more.
  • JCB announced it is set to build a new factory in North America which will create 1,500 new jobs over the next five years. The construction of the 720,000 sq. ft. factory will begin early next year on a 400-acre site in San Antonio, Texas.
  • Syngenta Seedcare is strengthening its focus on biologicals and extending its leadership in seed treatment with the opening of its first biologicals service center at The Seedcare Institute in Maintal, Germany.
  • Clean Seed Capital Group Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Brad Technologies SAS, a France based AgriTech company, whose mission is to be the voice of soil health by providing farmers with enhanced real-time knowledge driven by artificial intelligence.
  • CNH Industrial has completed its purchase of the global satellite navigation technology leader Hemisphere GNSS for a total consideration of USD $175 million – as announced on March 30, 2023.
  • Yanmar America, a leading provider of innovative agricultural and industrial solutions, is set to dazzle attendees at Equipment Expo 2023 with the debut of its cutting-edge e-tractor concept. This all-new development from Yanmar marks the first public appearance of the innovative electric tractor concept, offering users a versatile powertrain selection tailored to their specific work needs.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Animal Ag News 10/16

    Carrie Muehling

  • Smithfield Foods will close its Charlotte, North Carolina, pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, North Carolina, facility to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity. The company will provide financial and other transition assistance to the 107 employees who are affected by this closure and will meet with employees to discuss options including transfer to other Smithfield locations. Smithfield will also provide a financial incentive package for hourly employees to remain at Charlotte until the final day of production in December.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing partnerships for a new, interagency pilot project aimed at offering more localized ground bison meat for tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The pilot will look at changes to how USDA purchases bison to better support buying the meat from local, small, and mid-sized bison herd managers and delivering it directly to their local tribal communities.
  • In the second year of the meat sector’s pioneering data collection and reporting on five key focus areas for continuous improvement, the number of companies submitting data grew by nearly 60% and now covering more than half of all establishments operated by Meat Institute members. With 93% of the Meat Institute’s largest member companies (more than 2000 employees) submitting data, the report reflects commitments and actions covering an estimated 90% of meat sold in the United States.
  • The Livestock Publications Council will hold its October Coffee and Collaboration on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 10 a.m. CT. This session is titled “Telling Hard Stories That Need to Be Told” moderated by Lisa Moser featuring guest speakers Maddison Caldwell and Jennifer Shike of Farm Journal’s PORK.
  • As seedstock producers, Bruner Angus Ranch and Wendel Livestock, in North Dakota, were focused on raising herd sires and replacement heifers for customers. Now they sell their finished cattle, as well as those of their customers, through Dakota Angus. That partnership earned the 2023 CAB Progressive Partner award, and the two families were recognized in September at the CAB Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is now accepting applications for the 2024 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry.
  • smaXtec, the most advanced health system preventing diseases in dairy cows, announced the launch of new artificial intelligence capabilities with the introduction of TruAdvice technology.
  • Dairy MAX, a nonprofit dairy council representing more than 900 dairy farmers, announced the hiring of Becky Richardson as Vice President of School Marketing. In this pivotal role, Richardson will steer Dairy MAX’s strategic efforts in promoting dairy consumption and healthy nutrition among school-age children across Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
  • The regenerative agriculture consulting firm Understanding Ag, LLC, announced it will be conducting an intensive, two-day workshop on livestock economics, finance and marketing in Kansas City, Missouri, Nov. 29-30.
  • Attendee registration and general housing for the 2024 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) opened Monday, Oct. 16. Attendees will EXPERIENCE IT ALL at the world’s largest annual display of technology, equipment, supplies and services used in the production and processing of eggs, meat and poultry, and those involved in feed manufacturing.
  • The National Pork Industry Foundation, a nonprofit research and educational organization led by pork industry leaders and managed by the National Pork Producers Council, has opened applications for the Neil Dierks Scholarship to honor NPPC’s previous longtime CEO, Neil Dierks. The $5,000 scholarship is given annually to a college student pursuing a graduate degree at a land-grant university in a field related to the pork industry.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Wrap-up Of 2023 NAMA Fall Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    NAMA Fall Conference Ag TourThe 2023 NAMA Fall Conference was very successful and started off the first day with an ag tour of two farms that have diversified into some unique products and services. The first stop was at Riegel Dairy & South Point Hemp. The dairy was very impressive and I had not actually been on a hemp farm, along with the processing that they use to sell products. The other stop was at Crooked Creek Beef. The owners focus on raising beef and selling direct to consumers. They also have an event venue that is a beautiful place for a wedding. It is Haue Valley. Also on their property is Earth Angel Mushrooms. It was another first for me to see how they grow and sell their products. Here’s the group picture from our last stop.

    Back at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton we started the networking with an opening reception. Then we had keynote speakers, breakouts and more. Of course there are a lot of photos from the conference and I have them split into the tour and the conference in general. You can find them here:

    2023 NAMA Fall Conference Ag Tour Photos
    2023 NAMA Fall Conference Photos

    I talked with John Rozum, AEM, NAMA President for a conference review: Interview with John Rozum (5:38)

    You can put on your calendar some 2024 NAMA events:

    Agri-Marketing Conference – April 24-26, Kansas City, MO
    NAMA Boot Camp – August 13-15, Kansas City, MO
    NAMA Fall Conference – October 14-16, Minneapolis, MN

    Audio, NAMA

    USDA Lowers Forecast for Corn, Soybeans and Cotton

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The October Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) lowered the production forecast this year for corn, soybeans, and cotton.

    Corn production is forecast at 15.1 billion bushels, down less than 1% from the previous forecast but up 10% from last year; soybean growers are expected to decrease their production 4% from 2022, forecast at 4.10 billion bushels.

    Based on conditions as of Oct. 1, corn yields are expected to average 173.0 bushels per harvested acre, down 0.8 bushel from the previous forecast and down 0.4 bushel from 2022. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 87.1 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast.

    Also based on conditions as of Oct. 1, soybean yields are expected to average 49.6 bushels per acre, down 0.5 bushel from the previous forecast but unchanged from 2022. Area harvested for beans in the United States is forecast at 82.8 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but down 4% from 2022.

    All cotton production is forecast at 12.8 million 480-pound bales, down 2% from the previous forecast and down 11% from 2022. Based on conditions as of Oct. 1, yields are expected to average 767 pounds per harvested acre, down 19 pounds from the previous forecast and down 183 pounds from 2022.

    Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA

    Industry Ag News 10/13

    Carrie Muehling

  • International Federation of Agricultural Journalists is seeking a new Global Manager as the current Global Manager prepares to retire. The position involves a wide range of responsibilities, including administration, communications, bookkeeping, and meeting planning. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please click here for a detailed summary of the scope of work and approximate compensation.
  • According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the sheer volume of consumers experiencing food insecurity due to poor access represents a potential market opportunity for food manufacturers. Serving these customers through direct-to-consumer ecommerce platforms or direct delivery could be a relatively easy and profitable means to improve their food options.
  • AgGateway announced registration is now open for its 2023 Annual Conference, November 13-15 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, TN.
  • American Vanguard Corporation announced that its subsidiary AMVAC LATAM has acquired Punto Verde, a well-established distributor in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to strengthen its product portfolio and market access in the Latin American region. AMVAC LATAM is a key player in the Latin American agricultural sector and has become a leader in the commercialization of crop protection products.
  • On Friday, Oct. 6th and Saturday, Oct. 7th, National Farmers Union (NFU) convened the in-person programming for the Beginning Farmer Institute (BFI) in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • Agriculture Future of America (AFA), an organization committed to cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders, welcomes Nicole Erceg as Director of Marketing.
  • The Distillers Grains Technology Council (DGTC) is seeking an Executive Director to provide leadership and guidance in support of the DGTC’s vision, mission, strategic objectives and initiatives. Candidates for consideration will provide evidence of organizational, leadership and communications skills, interorganizational networking, membership development and support. For more information, click here.
  • GROWMARK recently completed its move to a new corporate headquarters located at 1705 Towanda Avenue in Bloomington, Ill. A little more than a year ago, GROWMARK’s purchase of the building from COUNTRY Financial was announced. Illinois Farm Bureau, COUNTRY Financial, and GROWMARK are all located on a shared campus.
  • POET, the world’s largest producer of biofuels and a leader in bioproducts, South Dakota State University, and South Dakota Mines celebrated the grand opening of the POET Bioproducts Center.
  • The U.S. rice industry is giving away $10,000 to high school seniors in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas as part of USA Rice’s annual National Rice Month Video Scholarship Contest. Students are asked to create a video that – in three minutes or less – shines a light on U.S.-grown rice. Interested students should visit www.reelricecontest.com for details, tips, and to view past winners. The deadline is October 31.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission and Georgia Bankers Association will join forces Oct. 16-20, 2023, to promote the 47th annual Georgia Peanut Bank Week. Financial institutions and local banks across the state will offer a tribute to Georgia’s 4,000 peanut farm families and the sustainability they provide to Georgia’s state and local economies.
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