Seed Treatment Stewardship Promoted at Classic

Cindy Zimmerman

ASTA Seed Treatment GuideWe first heard about “The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship” last year at Commodity Classic.

The second phase roll out of the guide – produced by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) in collaboration with organizations like the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association and American Farm Bureau – began this year and we heard more about it from ASTA VP for Government and Regulatory Affairs Jane DeMarchi.

classic14-asta-jane“The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship was created to touch all aspects of seed applied technology,” said Jane. “Our goal is to emphasize stewardship practices across crops and treatment segments and to minimize the risk of seed dust exposure to pollinators.”

Jane says they have developed videos about seed treatment stewardship and began taking them on the road this year to state and national corn, soybean and farm bureau meetings, and she says awareness of pollinator issues is growing among farmers across the country.

Learn more here: Press conference with Jane DeMarchi, ASTA
2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Ag Groups, ASTA, Audio, Commodity Classic, pollinators, Seed

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  • During the annual meeting of its voting delegates at last week’s Commodity Classic in San Antonio, the farmer members of the American Soybean Association plotted the association’s policy course for the coming year during the open resolutions process.
  • Farmer and rancher members of Farm Bureau from around the country officially kicked off the organization’s new “Our Food Link” program in conjunction with a conference for state leaders of Women’s Leadership and Promotion & Education programs.
  • The Purdue University College of Agriculture has awarded $1 million in state-funded grants for a wide variety of projects designed to advance Indiana’s leadership in plant and animal agriculture and rural development.
  • Nominations are due March 15 for the Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame, an award program honoring agricultural public relations professionals who have made lifetime contributions to the industry.
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More Time to Enter Golden ARC Awards

Cindy Zimmerman

golden-arc-awardsSo, what are you doing this weekend? How about working on your Golden ARC Awards entry?

After receiving requests from multiple Commodity Classic attendees, the Agricultural Relations Council folks decided to extend the deadline for the 2014 Golden ARC Awards Contest to next Tuesday March 11, 2014.

The 2014 Golden ARC Awards competition includes 35 categories for agricultural public relations activities conducted in full or partially in the year 2013.

The format and requirements for the Golden ARC Awards are similar to other leading PR award programs, based on best practices for public relations and public affairs campaigns and tactics.

The 35 categories fall into two divisions – Campaigns and Tactics. A student category is available with a free entry to student ARC members. New for this year, the tactics categories have been restructured to better reflect the tactical entries entered. The Golden ARC de Excellence award for the best all-around entry in the campaigns division will also be awarded.

Winners will be awarded at the ARC annual meeting June 24-26, 2014 in Madison, WI.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, ARC, Public Relations

What’s New in 5.2?

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyThis February, Ag Leader released the latest firmware of 5.2. There are a lot of updates and improvements in the latest firmware and no matter your operation, there will be a feature you will enjoy! The first thing that you will notice about 5.2 is the home screen has changed. It has a green backdrop, but that is just the beginning! There are added tabs that make adjusting the operation more convenient. Growers can now change operators, configurations, fields, products, and rates, straight from the home screen. Also, you can access the grower/farm/field and configuration settings by selecting the wrench next to the tabs.

AgLeader5.2Also in the new 5.2 firmware is “Events”. This mode is most convenient for custom applicators that do not want to log data to a specific field. Event mode allows data logging without being tied to a specific grower, farm, or field. This mode will allow operators to load the run screen with fewer button presses.

Another new optional feature that was added is headlands. Growers can use this to make AutoSwath work in different portions of the field. This option can help operators keep their field mapped more accurately and cut back on overlap.

Another new feature is managing guidance patterns. In the new 5.2 firmware growers have the ability to group guidance patterns together. This feature allows you to move from adaptive curve, identical curve, straight path, or pivot guidance lines without having to load the new guidance line into the display. This function will be most convenient for growers that use multiple lines in one field.

Ag Leader recommends upgrading to 5.2 before spring, as well as making a backup of the display before the season starts. We wish you a safe and successful planting season and enjoy the 5.2 firmware!

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Bayer Panel Buzzes About Bees

Kristin Liska

bayer-laurieOne of the most important topics discussed at the Ag Issues Forum was the buzz about bee health and what is being done to address declining bee colonies. One of the panelists was Laurie Adams, executive director of the Pollinator Partnership. Laurie stressed that collaboration between all parties is needed to protect all pollinators, including bees. Listen to my interview with Laurie here: Interview with Laurie Adams, Pollinator Partnership

bayer-parkerAlso on the panel was Don Parker who deals with integrated pest management for the National Cotton Council. He discussed the importance of farmers working closely with beekeepers who use their land for hives. Parker believes that the varroa mite is the biggest threat to bee colonies right now and he stressed the need for science to lead the discussion when it comes to pollinator health, not politics or personal opinion. Interview with Don Parker, National Cotton Council

Dr. Troy Anderson, Virginia Tech entomologist, was also on the panel. All three panelists agreed that stressers on honey bee population trace back to a variety of sources that include parasites, bacterial diseases, poor nutrition, genetics and pesticides.

You can listen to the entire discussion here. Bayer Ag Issues Pollinator Update Panel

In an effort to further education and collaboration around pollinator health, Bayer CropScience is holding its second annual Bee Care Tour this year, traveling coast-to-coast to create awareness of the vital role of honey bees in sustainable agriculture by establishing a dialogue with growers, beekeepers, researchers and students to discuss the multiple factors affecting honey bee health. They will also be opening a new North American Bee Care Center next month at Bayer’s Research Triangle Park, N.C. headquarters.

bayer-issues-button2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic, Cotton, pollinators

New Seed World Editor

Cindy Zimmerman

classic14-julie-dCongrats to Julie Deering (née Douglas) who has been named new editor of Seed World.

We just saw Julie last week at the Commodity Classic and Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum, where she was busily gathering content to use in upcoming Seed World issues. This probably means we will get to see her again at the American Seed Trade Association annual meeting and seed expo this year. That’s where we first made her acquaintance, before Mike Deering married her and moved her to Missouri where he is head of the state cattlemen’s association.

Julie is thrilled to join the Seed World team. “The seed industry is at the heart of innovation, making better use of technology and data,” she says. “There’s an enormous challenge that looms over the seed industry, but there’s never been a more exciting time to be a part of the industry.”

Her new job will be to lead the editorial direction and provide the execution that is required to maintain the publication’s reputation as the leading source of information for the global seed industry. She previously served as managing editor for Top Producer and director of communications for the American Seed Trade Association.

Media, Seed

iCropTrak Releases Rapid Scouting Enhancements

Chuck Zimmerman

iCropTrakMobile precision technology continues to evolve. iCropTrak just announced the release of Rapid Scouting Enhancements in Version 4.1 of their award-winning iOS Mobile Farm Management app iCropTrak. This comprehensive update for farmers and scouting professionals offers Rapid Observation and Action Item “one-tap” data entry aimed at easier, faster and more efficient use of your time in the field. The image is an example of Rapid Entry Observations.

In addition to Rapid Scouting enhancements like Rapid Observation and Action Items, the new iCropTrak includes a series of augmented map functions to make field understanding fast and easy.

Map Annotations to provide additional map reference data.
Work Order Status Annotations to provide where and what quickly.
Follow Me Upgrade to keep you on the map at any speed.
Map Sketch to allow you to draw on the map and save results for reports.
Recent Forms puts field history in chronological order.

Version 4.1 includes the first mobile parts of the upcoming MyJohnDeere.com integration: On-demand data downloading. On-Demand let’s you download only the data you need for the time you need it, then remove it from your iPad when done to have space for other efforts. At multiple gigabytes per field for planting, as-applied, and harvest data, On-Demand provides users control over their data and provides the first peek at the new user definable statistical legends that colorize the data on the fly based on its attributes.

Aaron Hutchinson, Cogent3D President shared the company’s excitement regarding this release stating: “The One Tap Observation capability to mark weeds, pests, and diseases is a labor break-thru in a market where every click is money. ”

Agribusiness, Precision Agriculture

Preserving Our Nations Cotton History

Jamie Johansen

farm-gin-14-anna-mullinsExecutive Director of The Cotton Museum, Anna Mullins, was present at the 3rd Annual Season Starter Party during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show and sat down with Chuck to share what the museum offers to visitors.

Anna has a strong history in agriculture specifically centered in the south. She grew up around cotton and started her career in ag media working for Cotton International Magazine. There she met a number of cotton traders who were intimately involved in creating the museum and continuing to support it.

“Our museum endeavors to cover the entirety of cotton history. But we focus on the history of the U.S. cotton industry and more specifically on how Memphis was founded as a cotton port and how the cotton industry shaped this city. It covers everything from slavery and share-cropping to modern day cotton growing.”

The museum hosts a party every year during the Gin Show and they consider it a fun way to kick off the growing season. It also it a great opportunity for growers across the south and ag industry reps to take in the lush history cotton has on the U.S.

The Cotton Museum operates on memberships and corporate sponsorships. If you are interested in helping to support their efforts in preserving our nations history checkout their website at MemphisCottonMuseum.org

You can listen to my interview with Anna here: Interview with Anna Mullins

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Coverage is sponsored by FMC

Ag Groups, Audio, Cotton, FMC

2014 Bayer Sustainability Award

Kristin Liska

bayer-aif14-awardDuring the ninth annual Ag Issues Forum last week, Bryan Boll of Minnesota was the recipient of the 2014 Bayer Young Farmer Sustainability Award. Bryan believes the key to sustainability is to look at your operation individually and see areas in which you can improve.

I interviewed Bryan about the award and what sustainability means to him. Interview with Bryan Boll, Bayer 2014 sustainability award winner

Bryan is the fourth recipient of this award. Pictured with him here are 2013 winner Jeremy Jack of Mississippi on the left, and the CEO and president of Bayer CropScience LP, Jim Blome.

Jeremy also participated on a panel during the Ag Issues Forum on how today’s farmer CEO are re-shaping modern agriculture. He believes “sustainability has got to be the action plan” for every farmer in the future. Interview with Jeremy Jack, Bayer 2013 sustainability award winner

Below is a video that introduces Bryan and what he does on his operation.

bayer-issues-button2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Crop Science, Sustainability, Video

Angel On My Shoulder

Melissa Sandfort

ResizedImage951393623387436Today Aunt Jeanette writes:

When I left early last Sunday morning to make the acquaintance of our newest grandson, I knew the weather was questionable. When traveling to the western Nebraska Pine Ridge area this time of year, bad weather is almost expected. I usually like to drive on Highway 2 because it is slower paced than Interstate 80. However, being anxious to see the family I haven’t seen for two months and also meet our new grandson, I opted for I80.

The farther west I traveled, the worse the driving conditions became. Slush, ice, snow, fog, caution signs on the interstate – this trip is definitely not going to make the list of the top ten smartest things I have ever done! Probably the worst thing was that everything was the same color. My normally red car was coated with ice, slush, snow, and salt, making it a dirty gray, just like every other vehicle on the road. The sky and road surface all blended together into that same gray color.

The flow of traffic had slowed dramatically. Nobody was going much faster than 55 or 60 miles per hour – except the semi that passed me. The driver had barely gone around me when he edged back in a little too quickly. Instinct told me to tap my brakes to avoid having the front of my car clipped by the trailer. Everything would have been okay – except for a nasty patch of ice. I slid into the other lane, my car spun sideways, and I took an unexpected side trip down into the median. I could not get out immediately, but when I saw an opportunity, I returned to the westbound left lane. There was no choice but to get back into the flow of traffic and keep going.

Now, I know there had to be an angel on my shoulder. How else can I explain the fact that there were no cars or trucks when I was sliding across lanes or returning to the interstate? My Uncle Keith used to say he had angels watching over him during his lifetime. He must have been watching and sent one of his angels to help me out just when I needed it!

Until we walk again …

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