2023 IFAJ World Congress Concludes

Chuck Zimmerman

2023 IFAJ Congress Canada Delegates GroupThe 2023 IFAJ Congress has concluded and attendees are on there way to post-congress tours, back home or spending more days on their own visiting farms and other parts of Canada. I’m heading back to Calgary for the Alltech ONE World Tour event which starts with a reception tonight and a day of presentations on Tuesday. Then I’ll head home to ZimmComm World Headquarters on Wednesday.

Last night we had the closing Gala Banquet at which awards were presented and all attendees enjoyed dueling pianos and dancing. I have plenty of photos of awards as well as country delegate group photos in the online album. Feel free to share or use however you want. The group you see here is the Canada group who organized this year’s IFAJ Congress. The IFAJ flag has been passed to Switzerland where the Congress will be held in 2024. More to come on that.

Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.

Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.

IFAJ, International, Media

IFAJ at the Panoka Stampede

Chuck Zimmerman

Panoka Stampede RodeoI participated in the IFAJ Congress rodeo tour for an afternoon at the Panoka Stampede. It is one of the largest rodeos in the world. Many of our attendees had never been to a rodeo and they got a great show. Afterward we had time to do some shopping at a local saddlery and western wear store. We weren’t able to stay for the evening activities which included Chuckwagon Races. However, I spoke with Billy Melville, Chuckwagon Races Historian and working on all things Chuckwagon Races, including commentary for race broadcasts. I spoke with him during our time at the venue: Interview with Billy Melville

Yesterday we had presentations on “Confronting the Reality of Colonial Legacies” and “Celebrating Indigenous Culture.” At the conclusion of the day everyone went outside and learned a circle dance which was led by some special guests. There are some great photos in my IFAJ Congress Photo Album.

The IFAJ Congress concludes tonight with Gala Banquet. We will have awards and a look ahead to the 2024 IFAJ Congress that will be held in Switzerland.

Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.

Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.

Audio, IFAJ, International, Media

2023 IFAJ Congress in Full Gear

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ World Congress 2023Hello from Olds, Alberta, Canada. The annual IFAJ Congress is taking place between Calgary and Olds. I missed the opening reception and half of the next day thanks to a flight delay/cancellation in Portland, OR on Tuesday. Sure seems like there are flight problems all over the country based on all the messages I’m seeing and that includes other attendees for this event.

Canadian Farm Writer of the year Ed WhiteIf I was able to be here on time I would have seen Ed White, The Western Producer, receive the Canadian Farm Writer of the Year Award, sponsored by Rabobank Canada. Thank you to Melanie Bernds for sending me a photo and congrats to Ed! Ed was presented the award by Rabobank’s Roxane Lieverse, EVP, Head of Canada.

We have a number of tours taking place. Yesterday I went on the Beef Tour because beef is what is for dinner me very often. We visited a ranch and unique feedlot and then had presentations with the Canadian Cattle Association before eating a prime rib at The Cattle Baron Restaurant. Today, it’s off the Panoka Stampede Rodeo for me. It is a pre-cursor to the Calgary Stampede coming up starting July 7.

I’ve got a lot of photos posted and am getting help from some contributors to add to the album from events I missed or other tours. Tomorrow we’ll learn a lot about the indigenous culture here in Canada and the schedule will conclude with a banquet Sunday where we’ll have IFAJ awards and a passing of the flag to Switzerland where the Congress will be held next year.

Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.

Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.

IFAJ

Industry Ag News 6/30

Carrie Muehling

  • Join fellow agri-marketers of all skill levels in Kansas City, August 9–11, for a fast-paced, jam-packed crash course in how to grow and succeed as a well-rounded professional. Sign up for NAMA Boot Camp now.
  • The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor survey, a joint effort between Farm Journal and agricultural policy research centers at the University of Missouri, launches with results from its first monthly survey. Questions were sent to nearly 60 agricultural economists nationwide to gauge perspectives on important drivers of agriculture and provide unique, timely insights that affect stakeholders at all levels of the industry.
  • Celebrating the 4th of July with a cookout will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with 10 family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.
  • Dan Basse of Chicago, Illinois, president of AgResource Company, has been elected chair of the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. Basse, who will serve a two-year term, succeeds Jerome Lyman, a retired executive of McDonald’s Corporation.
  • American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition kick off the 15th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration — a significant milestone to celebrate the only annual ranking of the top farmers markets in the United States as voted on by the public.
  • John Linder, an Ohio corn grower and former president of the National Corn Growers Association, was elected to serve as president of MAIZALL, an international farmer’s organization that focuses on eliminating regulatory obstacles to innovation in agriculture. The group contains members from the U.S., Brazil and Argentina.
  • The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska recently named Nicole Lefore as Associate Director of Sustainable Agriculture Water Management.
  • National Association of Wheat Growers welcomes Jack Long as the new Government Relations Representative. Long is a recent graduate from Oklahoma State University, where he received a Master’s in Agribusiness. Long is originally from Cole Camp, MO, and comes from a multigenerational farming operation.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    NCBA Files Legal Motion to Strike Down Biden WOTUS Rule

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and litigation partners filed a motion this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas asking the court to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA.

    “In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the EPA had overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision. NCBA is seeking summary judgement in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.”

    The Sackett case was not directly about agriculture, but the plaintiffs in the case were harmed by the EPA’s overregulation on WOTUS. NCBA filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court siding with the Sackett family in their lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers. Ultimately, points raised in NCBA’s brief were incorporated in the justice’s final opinion, demonstrating the importance of NCBA joining the fight on this issue.

    Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA and a coalition of litigation partners also filed their own lawsuit against the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule to block it from taking effect. NCBA secured injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. Now, NCBA is filing a motion for summary judgement to ask the court to rule on vacating the full Biden administration WOTUS rule based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Sackett case.

    NCBA Director of Policy Communications Hunter Ihrman provided this interview with Thomas-Hart about the case.
    NCBA interview with Mary Thomas-Hart 5:37

    Audio, Beef, NCBA, Water

    Former AgGateway Director Reflects on Progress

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Marilyn Hunter has seen AgGateway grow and develop since even before it was formed in 2005 and she reflected on how the organization has changed over the years at the recent Mid-Year meeting.

    “I came from a previous organization called Rapid, which morphed into AgGateway,” said Hunter. “At that time we were focused primarily on XML connectivity…Once AgGateway was formed we started crop nutrition and seed connectivity.”

    From there, the organization quickly grew into additional segments as precision agriculture grew and the ADAPT tool was developed. “ADAPT changed a lot of things for precision ag,” she said. “That was major and now it’s used for a lot of different technologies.”

    It had been over three years since Hunter had been at an AgGateway meeting so she was very happy to see a lot of familiar faces, as well as many new faces within the industry.

    Listen to Chuck’s interview with Marilyn at the AgGateway Mid-Year meeting.
    2023 AgGateway Mid-Year - Marilyn Hunter, AgGateway retired staff 17:19

    2023 AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting Photo Album

    AgGateway, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Precision Agriculture

    Margy Eckelkamp Promoted at Farm Journal

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Eckelkamp moderates panel at 2019 ARA Convention

    Congratulations to the highly-talented Margy Eckelkamp, who has been named leader of Farm Journal’s Top Producer brand. Her new role will include directing editorial content for Top Producer in print and online and developing the program for Top Producer Summit, the industry’s top educational event for large-scale farmers and ranchers.

    “I look forward to stewarding these outstanding brands as they serve key audiences in agriculture — owners and managers of leading agricultural operations and the trusted advisers who guide them,” Eckelkamp said. “Top Producer is the leader in profiling the most creative, ingenious and successful farmers, ranchers and growers. As technology transforms what’s possible, consumer demands change and the global ag markets are ever more dynamic, we will elevate the service Top Producer provides to the business side of farming while remaining committed to the strong foundation of the magazine, events and brand.”

    Margy at 2006 Commodity Classic

    Farm Journal says “Eckelkamp brings 17 years of creating best-in-class content for farmers and agriculture retail professionals to this new role, which includes continuing to serve as editor of The Scoop.” It was just over 17 years ago that Margy was one of the very first sponsored bloggers on AgWired for the Commodity Classic in 2006.

    She was Margy Fischer and a senior at the University of Missouri when she and Mary Irelan were chosen by Monsanto to be the student bloggers for the Classic – the first time it had ever been done and this new media thing was just getting started. Margy immediately showed how capable she was as a multi-media journalist by writing on the spot reports, doing interviews, attending press conferences and taking photos. Farm Journal hired her and she’s been there ever since.

    Eckelkamp spent the first seven years of her career reporting on agronomy, machinery and technology, which included leading the Farm Journal series of Corn College events and coordinating the Farm Journal Test Plots. She also helped relaunch and expand the Machinery Pete business to become the leading marketplace for farm equipment. Since 2016 her reporting has focused on the business side of agriculture since joining Farm Journal’s brand serving ag retailers, now The Scoop, which includes a multimedia portfolio across digital, print and the only podcast specifically serving the space.

    Now she will be running a brand that was launched as Top Operator in 1984 on the heels of the farm crisis, and then transitioned to a standalone magazine carrying the Top Producer brand the year after. The annual Top Producer Summit has become the top-tier event, including specific content for women in agriculture and the next generation of farm leaders.

    Journalism, Media

    Precision Ag News 6/28

    Carrie Muehling

    • Syngenta leaders from around the globe joined with state, local and agricultural organization representatives for the recent Grand Opening of the Syngenta Seeds R&D Innovation Center in Malta, Illinois, a facility designed to bring farmers and researchers together to accelerate advancements in agricultural seed products and services.
    • The Universal Food Forum (UFF) will be hosted by Michigan State University on July 12 in Washington, D.C. UFF seeks to engage media through stimulating debate and conversations across all perspectives on agriculture and food systems topics for a balanced view of food systems from multiple viewpoints.
    • AgriThority will be featured in the award-winning documentary series Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid. This innovative series highlights companies striving for significance and impact in the world. The documentary, “Effective Agriculture Technologies and Solutions” will be distributed to Public Television stations on July 17 and can be aired for one full year.
    • Western Growers and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2023 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where startup companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition by clicking here. Applications close on July 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
    • North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will lead a major project to build and sustain students’ interest and participation in agriculture as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new initiative, “From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals.” N.C. A&T’s project – SAPLINGS (System Approach to Promote Learning and Innovation for the Next GenerationS) – is designed to grow the number of underrepresented minority students in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences.
    • Arable announced a joint initiative with Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., supported by HabiTerre and Quanterra Systems, to deliver a high-trust, low-cost carbon measurement and verification system that would advance sustainable farming practices. The groundbreaking project, which will launch in Brazil, is designed to both reduce complexity and increase reliability of carbon monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) in agriculture.
    • Crop advisors are an important source of information for growers who face the persistent threat of herbicide resistance. Scientists with the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) say these frontline experts can help growers manage weeds that escape treatment, threaten crop yields, and disrupt natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats. A recent survey of certified crop advisors in all 50 U.S. states shows they are concerned about the escalation of herbicide resistance and the impediments to effective weed management.
    • SVG Ventures|THRIVE and NEC X, NEC Corporation’s Silicon Valley innovation hub and venture studio, announced that they have partnered to build bridges between agtech entrepreneurial ecosystems and NEC X venture-building capabilities. They will collaboratively identify opportunities for new ventures in agriculture and fast-track acceleration of resulting ventures from NEC X. The organizations will join forces in venture and ecosystem development with an initial focus on North America.
    • Lamberti and AgBiome, two leaders in the development of biological crop protection products, announced an expansion of their ongoing collaboration. The companies will work together to develop new biological liquid formulations.
    AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Yara North America Partners with Dairy Management Inc

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Yara North America and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) have launched a unique soil health collaboration to explore the use of organic fertilizers derived from manure for the benefit of soil health and regenerative nutrient management practices.

    The partnership will complement the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project and trials are currently underway at Yara’s Incubator Farm in Auburn, Alabama, to determine benefits of manure-derived fertilizers in combination with mineral fertilizers on water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency, and crop yield and quality. Insights and findings from these trials will be shared across the dairy industry and others involved in the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative, focused on the industry’s environmental stewardship goals of achieving GHG neutrality and improvements in water quality and quantity by 2050.

    “Supporting innovations and explorations centered around soil health, nutrient management and water regeneration are key as we work toward our ambition of growing a nature-positive food future,” said Debbie Watts, VP, innovation and market development, Yara North America. “This cooperation with Dairy Management Inc. is a terrific example of Yara’s commitment to participate in the transformation of the food system through actions that reduce emissions, protect nature and improve livelihoods. The dairy industry can look to Yara as a partner and valued contributing resource in agronomy and soil health expertise.”

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Dairy, Fertilizer, regenerative ag, Soil

    Progress on 2023 Farm Bill

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Some are saying Congress may need to pass a short-term extension of the current farm bill if they are unable to get a new one across the finish line before September 30, but House Agriculture Committee chair Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) is still optimistic.

    “With the farm bill, we’re rounding first base,” said Thompson during a recent interview in Washington D.C. by farm broadcaster Tony St. James, All Ag All Day. “We hit second base we’re going to be starting to write this thing. We get to third it means we’ve done a mark up in committee and that will probably be early September, is my hope.”

    Thompson says he realizes there is a race against the clock right now, but using the baseball analogy, he thinks they are in about the fifth inning at this point – and there will not be any seventh inning stretch. “My one goal is we’re going to do this farm bill on a bipartisan, bicameral way – on time – and highly effective,” he said.

    Listen to Tony’s interview here:
    All Ag All Day interview with Rep. GT Thompson 11:54

    Audio, Farm Bill