Interview with Grains Council CEO

With a record corn crop being harvested, exports are more important than ever. The United States exported more than 11 percent of the U.S. corn supply to over 100 countries in the 2013/2014 marketing year, which U.S. Grains Council president and CEO Tom Sleight says is a nice recovery from lost market share after the drought of 2012. In this …

New Holland Blogger Days

The New Holland Bloggers. Sounds like it could be anything from a band to a social media team. New Holland does have a social media team but this group I’m talking about is made up of independent bloggers who were invited to Turin, Italy to learn about New Holland’s participation in Expo Milano 2015. 2014 New Holland Blogger Days Photo …

Verdesian Los Alamos Media Day

Verdesian Life Sciences is a company focused on science and technology. They are also focused on education – education of journalists, employees, sales representatives and ultimately growers. Verdesian is, as founder and CEO JJ Grow explains, a plant health nutrition company filling in the micronutrient and macronutrient gaps in agriculture. Or, in simpler terms, “Things that fix nitrogen”. The company …

2014 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Conference

The Canadian Farm Writers Federation Annual Conference was hosted by the Atlantic Canada Farm Writers Association at Prince Edward Island, October 2-5. With the theme “Dig Deep” the agenda included learning more about the island’s biggest crop, potatoes, as well as interesting farming ventures such as mussel production. 2014 Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference photo album CFWF Digs Deep into …

NCBA Concerns About Beef Checkoff

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met earlier this week with the Beef Checkoff working group and reportedly told them he’s planning on implementing a new checkoff program for the industry by January, 2016. Speaking were NCBA president Bob McCan, NCBA immediate past president Scott George, and NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts.

2014 Word Dairy Expo

Over 3,000 head of dairy cattle were pre-entered for this year’s World Dairy Expo. No official count on the total of head actually exhibited, but the New Holland Pavilions are packed full of dairy cattle of all ages. The dairy cattle exhibitors were loving them and they were definitely the story for this year’s expo. Find all photos from the …

New Holland Pavilions at World Dairy Expo

As the 2014 World Dairy Expo got underway in Madison, Wisconsin, state and county officials joined New Holland executives and other industry partners in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially celebrate the grand opening of the New Holland Livestock Pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center, which hosts the World Dairy Expo. Find all photos from the event here: 2014 New Holland …

See Everglades Ag Conservation in Action

Lettuce, sugar cane and owls will be just a few of the crops and creatures seen on this year’s Conservation in Action Tour, hosted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). CTIC’s seventh annual tour showcases innovative farmers and their conservation agriculture successes. This year’s tour will take place Oct. 14-15 and provide an in-depth look at the unique story …

NACD Meets With EPA on WOTUS

Representatives of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials last week to express concerns on behalf of member conservation districts regarding the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule. In this interview, NACD President Earl Garber talks about the meeting and their concerns about the proposed rule.

NPPC Comments on Breakdown of TPP Talks

The National Pork Producers Council continues to carefully watch negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and expressed disappointment in the outcome of meetings last week with the Japanese. In this interview, NPPC Vice President and Counsel for International Affairs Nick Giordano talks about what happened last week and why the issue is so important to U.S. pork producers.

Water for Food Global Conference

Mobilizing new data gathering capabilities to improve global water and food security is the subject of the sixth annual Water for Food Global Conference, hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Oct. 19-22 in Seattle, Wash. The event is the premier gathering of …

USDA Unveils New Risk Management Programs

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the new programs included in the 2014 Farm Bill to help farmers better manage risk. The new programs, Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), represent the end of direct payments by offering farmers protection when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices and/or revenues. Producers will have through early spring …

RFA CEO Comments on Ethanol Issues

In this interview, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen discusses the recent Quad County Corn Processors cellulosic ethanol production grand opening, the record corn crop and ethanol production this year, new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ad campaigns and whether EPA will change the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations that are under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review.

GOP Ag Commissioners on Federal Overreach

Members of the Republican Agriculture Commissioners Committee hosted a conference call Monday to discuss the impact of federal overreach on agriculture in the United States and back the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) in calling for the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule to be withdrawn. Speaking on behalf of RACC were Iowa Secretary of Agriculture …

USDA Conservation Grants Announced

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the award of $15.7 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 47 organizations that will help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to accelerate innovation in private lands conservation. The Secretary made the announcement while visiting a farm in Moline, Illinois. The grants are funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Those receiving the grants …