Building Numbers and Demand for Bison

Increased demand for sustainable meat has the bison industry poised to grow significantly this year, and the industry has announced the “Bison One Million” campaign, which sets sights on helping the North American bison population grow to one million strong this year. National Bison Association executive director Dave Carter says the industry is also working to increase consumer demand for …

Bayer Showcase Plot Tour – North Dakota

A special Bayer Showcase Plot Tour was held Monday just west of Minot, ND with a focus on cereal crops as well as products for soybeans, canola and corn. This virtual newsroom includes links to photos, audio, and video from this event. All content posted here is available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. Bayer Showcase …

Dicamba Concerns Prompt State Actions

On the heels of Arkansas, Missouri has issued a pause on sale, use, and removal of all products labeled for agricultural use that contain dicamba. As of July 10th, the Missouri Department of Agriculture has had 145 pesticide drift complaints. *POST UPDATE* 7/14/17 Missouri Department of Agriculture releases Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order for ENGENIA, XTENDIMAX and FEXAPAN herbicides …

Industry Reacts to Proposed Biofuels Levels

New proposed levels for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) were released Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2018 RFS level for conventional biofuels, including corn ethanol, was maintained at 15 billion gallons, the maximum under current law, which Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says will benefit both producers and consumers. In this interview, Dinneen …

SMART Farmer Jennifer Houston

This edition of the SMART Farmer podcast features Tennessee native Jennifer Houston, a livestock market owner and beef cattle industry leader, who talks about how the business of producing and marketing beef cattle has become smarter in recent years. Houston is currently Vice President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and serves on the board of the U.S. Farmers and …

USDA Reports Record High Soybean Acreage, Corn Acres Down

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is estimating a record high 89.5 million acres of soybeans planted in the U.S. for 2017. That’s up seven percent from last year. Corn acres are looking to be down about three percent. All cotton acreage for 2017 is estimated at 12.1 million acres, 20 percent above last year, while all wheat planted …

Biodiesel Industry Considering Options Against Argentina

The U.S. biodiesel industry is considering legal options as imports of subsidized biodiesel have continued to increase since the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Fair Trade Coalition filed an antidumping petition in March alleging that dumped biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia have injured U.S. producers. In this interview, NBB vice president of federal affairs Anne Steckel talks about the increase …

Quarterly Hogs & Pigs Report

The Pork Checkoff hosted the USDA’s Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report on Thursday, June 29, 2017. This quarterly teleconference featured three agricultural economists and their reactions to the report. Panelists included: Dr. Lee Schulz, Extension Livestock Economist, Iowa State University Dr. Scott Brown, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia Joe Kerns, President, Kerns & Associates, Ames, IA Reports seemed to …

Ag Groups Provide NAFTA Input

A number of agricultural organizations provided their input to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) this week regarding the upcoming negotiations to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “NAFTA has been overwhelmingly beneficial for the vast majority of farmers and ranchers across the U.S. for decades,” said Colorado Farm Bureau President Don Shawcroft in comments on …

American Ethanol E15 250 by Enogen Syngenta

The NASCAR Xfinity American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen took place June 24 at the Iowa Speedway, where race fans and farmers came to watch their favorite drivers run on clean burning ethanol. Syngenta and Growth Energy use this race to demonstrate the value of E15, a low-cost, high-octane fuel powering NASCAR for 10 million miles of competitive racing. …

GROWMARK Endure Initiative Grows

The GROWMARK Endure sustainability initiative is enduring. For the second year GROWMARK has announced winners of the Endure 4R Advocate award. Adam Dexter – West Central FS – Williamsfield, Illinois Don Jones – GROWMARK FS – New York/Pennsylvania Jay Matthews – AgVantage FS – Charles City, Iowa John Musser – Stephenson Service Company – Stockton, Illinois Nicole Weber – FS …

Trump Commits to Agriculture in Iowa

President Donald Trump stood among various models of John Deere and Case IH farm equipment as he pledged to boost agriculture exports, loosen federal regulations on the agriculture industry, and support ethanol and biofuels yesterday while speaking to a crowd of about 250 at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Listen to the full speech here: President Trump at …

2017 ASTA Annual Convention

The 134th annual meeting of the American Seed Trade Association was held June 21-24 in Minneapolis, MN with the theme “Voyage of Better Seed.” Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States with a membership of over 700 companies involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding, and …

2017 Fuel Ethanol Workshop

The Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo, produced by BBI International, is the largest, longest-running ethanol conference in the world featuring timely presentations and a full trade show of industry companies and organizations. The 33rd annual meeting was held June 19-21 in Minneapolis, MN. This virtual newsroom includes links to photos, audio, and video from the conference. All content posted here …

SMART Farmer US Poultry

In this edition of the SMART Farmer podcast we head south to learn a little bit about poultry production and how it has gotten smarter, more efficient and more sustainable over the years. Monty Henderson started as a broiler service manager with Tyson Foods and later with Campbell Soup Company. He has served as president of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and …