Bayer CropScience is giving thanks to people in agriculture who help feed us this holiday season. You can help them with their big goal.
Bayer CropScience is donating 20,000 meals to World Food Program USA to help feed hungry Americans. Help us reach our goal of donating 40,000 meals by December 20th by sharing educational facts with your friends and family. We’ll donate $1 for each item you share on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook and $1=4 donated meals. Join the conversation on Twitter with #Thankful4Ag and @Bayer4CropsUS.
Looking Ahead to ASFMRA Agronomics Vision 2015
With the conclusion of the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference and American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers annual meeting, it is time to look forward to next year. To do that I sat down with Fred Hepler, President-Elect, AFM, AAC of Cottonwood Management in Edmond, Oklahoma. Next year it will be Fred’s meeting and he’s excited about it already. The conference will be in Tucson, AZ, October 27 – November 1, 2014.
Fred told me that although new technology was on the program at this year’s conference it will be even more prevalent next year with an expanded look at unmanned aerial vehicles and their use as a tool for managers, consultants and appraisers. You can learn more about his plans for next year’s program in our interview.
You can listen to my interview with Fred here: Interview with Fred Hepler
Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.
Zimfo Bytes
- American Meat Science Association is excited to announce that Deidrea Mabry, M.S., has been appointed Director of Scientific Communications and Technical Programs.
- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced the appointment of 20 members to serve on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers during a trip to the University of Delaware.
- The Maschhoffs, LLC, the largest family-owned pork production company in North America, and GNP Company announced they have signed a definitive agreement whereby The Maschhoffs will acquire GNP Company and its subsidiaries.
- The U.S. Grains Council is pleased to announce registration is now open for its 11th International Marketing Conference and 54th Annual Membership Meeting Feb. 10-12, 2014.
Ram Truck Farmer Photography Book Available
You loved the commercial, you’ll love the book. It’s a new photography book launched by Ram Trucks with National Geographic titled, “The Farmer in All of Us: An American Portrait.” The book is available for purchase now for $45 at www.ramtrucks.com/outfitter and will be in retail stores beginning late spring 2014.
The 300-page coffee table book is a beautiful and comprehensive collection of original agriculture and farming photography, including many of the images commissioned by the Ram Truck brand for its “Farmer” Super Bowl commercial inspired by Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” essay. Every book purchase backs a minimum contribution of $25,000 by the Ram Truck brand to the National FFA Organization’s “Give the Gift of Blue” program, which donates traditional FFA blue corduroy jackets to members who would not otherwise be able to own one.
“Supporting farmers isn’t just about those who till the soil, it’s about reminding America who we are and where our greatness comes from,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group, LLC. “This book truly brings the ‘Farmer’ story to life, and continues to give back in support of the amazing students of the FFA who embody this spirit every day.”
To create the book, ten world-class photographers were tasked with traveling throughout America’s heartland over the course of three weeks to capture the essence of the farmer. Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” speech served as their inspiration. The photographers’ original goal was to create the visual backdrop for a television commercial celebrating the “Year of the Farmer.” The two-minute tribute aired during Super Bowl XLVII, stopping the nation in its tracks.
The Ram Truck crew was present during the recent NAFB Convention and Jamie caught an interview with David Sowers, who is head of Ram’s marketing team. He discusses the book along with what’s new for Ram Truck. Interview with David Sowers, Ram Truck
2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Surviving an Undercover Video
We live in a world of anarchists/activists and they’ll stop at nothing to create mayhem. Farmers are not exempt. These wackos are really nothing more than criminals but unfortunately their shenanigans can have devastating impacts on a business. The Center for Food Integrity is conducting a webinar to present ideas for how to deal with the situation from some recent research they conducted. Register here.
The recent flurry of undercover videos is a painful reminder of just how damaging these graphic images can be to a company, a brand and an industry. There is no substitute for reliable animal well-being programs, but an effective response to an undercover video can be the difference between staying in business and seeing a lifetime of work destroyed. Recent research by The Center for Food Integrity explored consumer reaction to “good actor and bad actor” responses to on-farm undercover video. The results could not be more clear. In this webinar we will share the research results, our strategic insight and a step by step plan for not just surviving, but restoring public trust after an undercover video. Please join us.
How to Survive an Undercover Video
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer
Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet
BASF Beauties and Bozeman at NAFB
BASF Technical Market Manager for Herbicides Luke Bozeman is surrounded by a bevy of beauties here at NAFB Trade Talk. Left to right around Luke are Courtney Reigh and Amy Jensen with Padilla/CRT; Sandi Wilson, Pat Morrow and Hillary Jaworski of BASF.
We talked with Luke to get the latest update on Engenia™ herbicide and the BASF On-Target Application Academy (OTAA).
Engenia is the BASF herbicide being developed for dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. Luke says all the field trials this year went well and the launch is basically just waiting on approvals. “Regulatory reviews are progressing nicely and we’re expecting to be in the marketplace following the approval of the dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton which looks like it could be 2015,” he said.
BASF’s OTAA just finished its second year and Luke says they plan to expand the program’s reach in 2014. “We’ve had over 3,000 growers come through our training events,” he said. “In 2014 we’ll be developing an on-line tool that will allow growers, at their convenience, to source the most up-to-date information on application technologies.”
Find out more from Luke here: Interview with Luke Bozeman, BASF
2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Climate Corporation’s Growth by Tracking Weather
Another ag based company who attended this year’s Trade Talk at the recent NAFB Convention was the Climate Corporation. They are focused on applying data science to production agriculture and take all the environmental data, weather, soil conditions and current and seasonal projections and apply it to the production agricultural decisions growers make on a daily basis.
Greg Smirin, CEO of The Climate Corporation, sat down with me during the event to talk about some new products they are offering growers and what changes customers might see with the Monsanto acquisition.
“We help protect the grower from things they cannot control with our total weather insurance, crop insurance and we are rolling out for the season Climate Basic and Climate Pro, which helps the farmer make decisions throughout the growing season to boost profitability.”
Climate Basic and Climate Pro will use data science to change agriculture. The basic program is a free web and mobil service and will provide hyper-local weather on each of the fields a grower has. A grower gets projected growth stages, soil moisture tracking, alerts along with scouting and notes. The pro version comes with a fee, but growers get everything the basic provides with an advisor for planting, nitrogen, pest and disease, harvest and in variable rates.
There is no doubt the company provides a service for growers that can increase profitability by over $100 per acre. Recently, the company was acquired by Monsanto. The two companies have found that they are doing the same science based research. The Climate Corporation will continue to operate independently with growers, but they are now able to leverage the research that has come out of Monsanto’s labs.
Listen to my complete interview with Greg here: Interview with Greg Smirin
Checkout photos from NAFB Convention: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Summer Education for ASFMRA
Jeff Berg, ARA, and Past President of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, talked about the ASFMRA Summer Education Week program during Agronomics Vision 2014 in Reno, NV. He told me that ASFMRA has a net increase of about 86 new members this year which is a big increase for the organization. Sounds like the ways that the organization is encouraging young people to get into the industry are working. It’s a great time to get into the business due to the changing demographics in the United States. ASFMRA chapters are sending representative to college clubs and classes like ag econ. He calls farm management, consulting and rural appraisal the best kept secret in agriculture.
Summer Education Week will take place July 13 – 17, 2014 in Des Moines, IA.
You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Berg
Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.
Rabo AgriFinance Report From NAFB
Rabo AgriFinance was present for the recent Trade Talk during the 2013 NAFB Convention. The company is the leading U.S. ag lender and specializes in protein to produce and inputs to oilseeds. Their expert team monitors and evaluates the global market that influences agriculture around the world.
I spoke with two of the team’s analysts at the event and they each shed some insight into the upcoming 2014 futures and recapped how growers and producers faired in 2013. John Grettenburg is a Relationships Manager in Western and Southwest Iowa and specializes in the corn and soybean market. Don Close is the Vice President for Food and Agribusiness Research (FAR) and his area of interest is in international markets and cattle feeding.
John hit on on-farm storage of grains and how it can benefit growers. “I think it gives the producer the opportunity to mange it from one tax year to the next from an income tax perspective. Historically we have had some increases and bumps in the market through the spring months and early summer. It allows farmers to increase the speed of their harvest if they have their own drying facility and by not have to wait in lines at local elevators. It gives them that flexibility to move that crop to market when the price dictates.”
Listen to my complete interview with John here: Interview with John Grettenburg
Don describes 2013 for cattle feeders as dismal and says the replenishing of herds will be a slow process and supplies will continue to be tight. “One of the areas the beef industry will be challenged with is the position of both the broiler and hog industry while they gain market shares at the expense of beef. With the likely hood of recovering cow numbers the prospects of growing international trade both short-term and long goals gives a very positive outlook for the future.”
Listen to my complete interview with Don here: Interview with Don Close
Checkout photos from NAFB Convention: 2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Watching Out For ASFMRA In Washington
Stephen Frerichs, AgVantage, LLC, works with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers on its Leadership Institute in Washington, Dc. He attended the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference to provide a Farm Bill update and learn about what this year’s priorities are for ASFMRA.
I sat down with him to talk about the work he does with ASFMRA members when they visit Washington, DC for the annual Leadership Institute.
You can listen to my interview with Stephen here: Interview with Stephen Frerichs
Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.