Enter to Win Bayer’s 2013 Cotton Belt Challenge

Jamie Johansen

Metallic_Cotton_Belt_LogoThe Cotton Belt Challenge is in its second year, and Bayer CropScience is encouraging FiberMax and Stoneville cotton growers to enter to win great prizes. Growers with the highest yields and highest overall loan values in 12 regions will be recognized for both irrigated and dryland cotton. In addition to regional awards, there will be two grand prize drawings for a custom 4WD Bad Boy Buggies Ambush vehicle.

“FiberMax and Stoneville cotton varieties have the germplasm and trait technologies to help growers produce profitable cotton yields and fiber quality,” said Jeff Brehmer, U.S. product manager for FiberMax and Stoneville cotton. “Cotton production varies across the United States, depending on weather, irrigation, soil type, pest pressure and other factors. We want to recognize successful cotton production in diverse regional scenarios, and the Bayer CropScience Cotton Belt Challenge gives growers a chance to be rewarded by region for producing high-yielding and high-quality cotton.”

Growers enter by filling out an official entry form and submitting their gin receipts. All regional irrigated and dryland winners in the yield and fiber quality categories will receive 10,000 Innovation Plus™ points – a $500 value.

To qualify, growers must submit their yield and quality results from a minimum of 50 acres and verify their production through gin receipts. Yield is based on ginned lint yield, and quality is based on USDA loan value. If any portion of a field is irrigated, then the entry must be in the irrigated category.

Agribusiness, Bayer, Cotton

Lowering Biofuels Targets Could Hurt Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Protect the RFSRepresentatives from state government, the agriculture community, and the ethanol industry all say the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) biofuels requirements would have a negative impact on agriculture and rural economies.

During a telephone press discussion today about the proposal Iowa Governor Terry Branstad said he was proud of his state’s leadership in biofuels production and he believes lowering the volume obligations would be detrimental for jobs and land values in rural America. “I’m concerned that this would be devastating to what has been a robust economic recovery” in the agricultural heartland of America, said Branstad. “I think the president’s made a terrible mistake caving in to Big Oil on this issue.” The governor launched a new website in response to the EPA proposal – ProtectTheRFS.com – which is collects commenting from citizens about the proposed changes and sending them to the EPA.

american-farm-bureau-logoAmerican Farm Bureau economist Matt Erickson noted that the proposal has already led to lower futures prices for corn, which could mean 2014 will see prices below the cost of production. “Looking at USDA’s cost of production forecast, the breakeven for corn for 2014 is forecasted to be over $4 a bushel,” Erickson said, explaining that if it drops much lower than that, farmers will be losing money. “This would really be the first time we’d seen this on a national scale since 2005.”

Reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil was the primary objective of the RFS, but “revitalizing rural communities, boosting farm income and reducing farm program costs were also important policy objectives,” said Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “The RFS has certainly helped to do that and this proposal will reverse that policy as well.”

Listen to comments from Branstad, Erickson and Dinneen with questions from the media here: Comments on RFS Proposal Negative Impacts

AFBF, Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) have selected broadhead to develop communications to raise awareness of both agencies’ services for the public.
  • American Agri-Women (AAW) elected its executive board and recognized outstanding contributors at its 38th annual convention held recently in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Sue McCrum of Mars Hill, Maine, will serve as president in 2014 and 2015.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. announced its acquisition of Geosys, a global technology firm that provides satellite imaging and insights to agribusiness.
  • The shareholders of Lincoln Land FS, Inc., headquartered in Jacksonville, Ill., and Two Rivers FS, Inc., headquartered in Rushville, Ill., have approved the merger of their two companies effective December 1, 2013.
Zimfo Bytes

Lincoln Land FS & Two Rivers FS Combine

Talia Goes

13910prairieland_275The shareholders of Lincoln Land FS, Inc., headquartered in Jacksonville, Ill., and Two Rivers FS, Inc., headquartered in Rushville, Ill., have approved the merger of their two companies effective December 1, 2013. The new company – Prairieland FS, Inc. — will be headquartered in Jacksonville. Keith Hufendick, formerly manager of Two Rivers FS is named chief executive officer; Matt Busby, formerly manager of Lincoln Land FS is named chief operating officer.

Joe Pickrell, Buffalo Ill, was named President of the newly-formed company; Chet Esther, Frederick Ill, is Vice President. The combined entities recorded $300 million in sales for the most recent fiscal year ended July 31, 2013.

Agribusiness, GROWMARK

Research, Promotion & Education at Pork Board

Jamie Johansen

nafb-13-nafb-13-36The National Pork Board is the entity that conducts research, provides education and promotes the product. They were at the recent NAFB Convention and I caught up with them during the always busy, yet fun and exciting Trade Talk.

Dale Norton, Vice President of the National Pork Board, farms with his brother in Michigan and has been a part of the pork industry on the national level for about 15 years. Dale’s major role for the organization is to manage the money that comes in through the checkoff program. In an interview with me, Dale touches on Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED), the research being done and the Pork Checkoff.

“There’s no safety issue with PED. Pork is perfectly safe. That’s one thing the public needs to know. For producers impacted it’s a real test to their economic stability. Those that have pigs that are between birth and 28 days and are affected are almost 100% fatal. It takes a period of time in the herd to create immunity. Part of what has happened with Pork Board is we have really made an expedited effort to put research together to help minimize the impact that it is going to have.”

The Pork Board has a We Care initiative that is in place to help educate the public and show that the producers truly care about their animals, their communities and the environment. They are also busy sharing recipes and proper cooking techniques. Dale says one of their catchphrases is ‘cook it like a steak.’ Seven minutes on each side gives you a good medium, juicy chop.

Marketing to the millennial generation is also key for the board. They recently released a free e-book called Cooking For Comfort. They are also very present online via social media. Check them out on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Listen to my complete interview with Dale here: Interview with Dale Norton

Checkout photos from NAFB Convention: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, NAFB, Pork

Canadian Farmers Have Record Year

Cindy Zimmerman

Canadian farmers harvested record crops this season, according to the latest report out today from Statistics Canada.

canadaProduction of most field crops increased this year in Canada compared with 2012 with both canola and wheat production reaching record levels. Canola production increased 29.5% from 2012 to a record 18.0 million tonnes with a record average yield of 40.0 bushels per acre, up 42.3% from 2012, which more than offset a 9.0% decline in harvested area. Farmers reported record wheat production of 37.5 million tonnes, a 38.0% increase from 2012. Both harvested area (+9.9%) and average yield (+25.4%) increased compared with 2012.

Barley production was up nearly 28% from 2012 to 10.2 million tonnes with a record yield of 71.7 bushels per acre. Corn and soybean production also set records, mostly due to increased acreage, with soybeans up 2.2% and corn up 8.7%.

mgex“To say the report is surprising is probably an understatement in terms of the magnitude of the increase,” commented analyst Bruce Burnett with the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) crop call for Canada this morning.

Listen to his analysis here: Commentary on Canada crop report with Bruce Burnett, CWB

Audio, Wheat

FedEx Delivers Early Christmas Present for Troops

Jamie Johansen

t4tlogoFedEx Corp. is spreading holiday cheer to America’s service members and their families this season with a special delivery of more than 17,000 live Christmas trees. For the past nine years, Trees for Troops has brought together FedEx, the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and tree farmers from across the country to ship real Christmas trees to service members overseas and to military bases here in the U.S.

“FedEx team members often feel like we’re playing ‘Santa’ during the holiday season for so many of our customers, but the delivery of these Christmas trees to our men and women in uniform is one of our most treasured holiday traditions,” said Bill Logue, president and CEO, FedEx Freight. “The holidays are a tremendously busy time for FedEx, but we’re honored to be invited to mobilize our logistics network in support of the dedication of America’s servicemen and women.”

The initiative kicked off in Thorntown, Indiana where the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Association donated Christmas trees. Their trees will be shipped to service members stationed in the Middle Eat via the FedEx Express hub in Indianapolis. Then FedEx Freight will hit the road to deliver trees to U.S. military bases. Many of the deliveries will also include special holiday festivities in which military families will pick-up their much anticipated Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association is also doing their part in donating thousands of trees through their philanthropic branch. The public can also donate to help support this cause.

Trees for Troops is part of FedEx Special Delivery, a nationwide program that supports local organizations by donating transportation services and other assistance to help them fulfill their missions. Since it launched in 2005, FedEx has shipped more than 122,000 real Christmas trees to service members and their families – covering every branch of the military at more than 60 bases in 17 countries.

Conservation, Forestry

Biotech Crops Alliance Names Secretariat

Cindy Zimmerman

An alliance of organizations supporting biotech crops has named a leader to help “spearhead collaborative efforts to improve the environment for technology innovation and the market for U.S. crops produced through modern biotechnology.”

mjp-biotechDr. Michael J. Phillips has been selected as the first secretariat for the U.S. Biotech Crops Alliance (USBCA), which was established by several organizations under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2012. The USBCA has been developing and working to “implement consensus positions on key policy issues designed to improve the introduction, stewardship, domestic and international regulatory policy, and distribution in U.S. and export markets of commodities and processed products containing or derived from modern biotechnology.”

In his capacity as secretariat, Phillips will be the focal point of the group’s efforts to further advance the reach, work and wide range of activities being pursued under the expanding broad-based national initiative that currently consists of 11 influential national organizations representing U.S. biotechnology providers; seed, grain and oilseed producers; grain handlers, feed manufacturers, grain processors and millers; exporters; and other end-users. The secretariat also will serve a key role in helping develop and implement consensus positions on specific policy issues.

Phillips is president of MJ Phillips and Associates LLC, an agricultural consulting firm that specializes in agricultural biotechnology issues, and prior to that was vice president for science and regulatory policy for food and agriculture at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

The USBCA’s founding organizations include National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, American Seed Trade Association, Biotechnology Industry Organization, National Grain and Feed Association, and North American Export Grain Association. Other national organizations now members of USBCA are American Farm Bureau Federation, Corn Refiners Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Soybean Export Council.

AFBF, Ag Groups, ASTA, Biotech, NCGA

What’s Hot in 2014 Culinary Forecast

Chuck Zimmerman

What's Hot Top FiveThis forecast of What’s Hot in 2014 looks way too healthy to me. Or maybe I should say it just looks kind of difficult to believe that when you hanker for some BBQ you’re really going to be worrying about where the meat came from. I don’t know. How about you?

Each year the National Restaurant Association (NRA) prepares its What’s Hot culinary forecast of menu trends for the coming year. They surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find which food and beverage items will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2014. You can see the full report here.

Top 10 food trends for 2014:

  • Locally sourced meats and seafood
  • Locally grown produce
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Healthful kids’ meals
  • Gluten-free cuisine
  • Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
  • Children’s nutrition
  • Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat)
  • Sustainable seafood
  • Farm/estate branded items

The What’s Hot in 2014 survey also found that the top five alcohol and cocktail trends will be micro-distilled/artisan spirits, locally produced beer/wine/spirits, onsite barrel-aged drinks, culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients), and regional signature cocktails.

When asked which current food trend will be the hottest menu trends 10 years from now, environmental sustainability topped the list, followed by local sourcing, health-nutrition, children’s nutrition and gluten-free cuisine.

Ag Groups, Food

Results from BASF Survey on Weed Resistance

Cindy Zimmerman

BASFA new grower survey by BASF Crop Protection shows majority of are facing challenges with glyphosate-resistant weeds.

Three out of four growers who participated in a recent survey by BASF suspect that glyphosate resistance is a cause of their tough to control weeds. As a result, a staggering 76 percent of these growers have already changed their weed management program to address resistance. In addition, many growers have experienced lower yields, which they attribute to resistant weeds. These growers have also spent more time scouting and invested more money in their crops due to resistant weeds.

Growers in the survey also identified how they plan to change their control programs next year, with more than two-thirds indicating they would be applying a preemergence herbicide this season and more than half planning to add an additional herbicide to their existing program. Half of the growers surveyed plan to use more than one site of action and nearly half said they plan on using overlapping residual herbicides to control resistant weeds.

According to the survey, growers say the most difficult weed to control is waterhemp, with ragweed species coming in a close second. Lambsquater and marestail were also identified as difficult weeds.

Read more from BASF.

Agribusiness, BASF, Crop Protection, Farming, weed management