CommonGround hosted its 7th annual National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri this week. Members of the organization, which focuses on providing an opportunity for conversations between consumers and farmers, are celebrating seven years of success and planning for the future of the program. Joan Ruskamp is a CommonGround volunteer from Nebraska who has been part of the effort for almost …
Ethanol Report on EPA Hearing and Court Decision
Last week’s court decision on what EPA can consider when setting volume obligations for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard was still fresh in mind as the industry provided feedback on the agency’s most recent proposals for next year during a public hearing in Washington D.C. this week. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association president …
Legendary Seedsman Don Funk re-launches Midwest Seed Genetics
Don Funk, founder of Channel Bio Corp, is leading a team of entrepreneurs to launch Midwest Seed Genetics across the Corn Belt for the 2017/2018 growing season. In 2001, Funk purchased Midwest, a small, sleepy seed company, and turned it into a regional powerhouse. He is re-acquiring the brand for the purpose of providing farmers meaningful choice in the dynamic …
EPA Hearing Draws Biofuels Supporters
Over 140 witnesses provided feedback to the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday on the agency’s recent proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), with the majority supporting renewable fuels. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen thanked EPA for proposing to maintain the 15 billion gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels in its 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) …
SMART Farmer Jeanette Merritt
Jeannette Merritt is our SMART Farmer for this episode – an Indiana farm girl and former agricultural journalist who is raising crops, hogs and kids with her husband and serving the industry in many capacities. Jeanette is a 4th generation farmer, a Purdue University graduate, Director of Checkoff Programs for Indiana Pork and serves on the Indiana Soybean Alliance board …
U.S. & Mexico Ag Secretaries Talk Trade
While meeting with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today held a teleconference for U.S. media. The two leaders engaged in bilateral talks, including a panel discussion with U.S. and Mexican producers, several agricultural site visits, and a joint press conference – seeking to build on the U.S. and Mexico’s well-developed track record …
2017 Ag Media Summit
Jamie Johansen and Chuck attended the Ag Media Summit in Snowbird, Utah, courtesy of FMC Corporation. The annual event is the gathering place for American Ag Editors Association (AAEA) and Livestock Publication Council (LPC) members to network and take in some professional development. This virtual newsroom includes links to photos, audio, and video from the conference. All content posted here …
2017 InfoAg Conference in St. Louis
Welcome to the virtual newsroom for the 2017 InfoAg Conference held July 25-27 in St. Louis, sponsored by John Deere. Since 1994, the InfoAg Conference has been the premier event for discussion and advancement of precision agriculture. This event draws interest from domestic and international agriculture professionals and features a wide range of educational and networking opportunities for professionals interested …
MN Soy Teams with USFRA for Teacher Education
The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC) has partnered with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to start a program to help urban teachers learn more about agriculture so they can teach it to their students. To kick it off, educators in Minneapolis August 29 and Sacramento August 31 are invited to take a farm tour at the end …
19th Southern Peanut Growers Conference
The theme for the 19th annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference was Navigating the Marketplace and farmers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi once again met together on Florida’s Emerald Coast to learn and network. The three-day event provides farmers with information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions and includes members of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, the Florida …
Historic Chinese Agreement to Help U.S. Rice
History was made this week when an agreement permitting US rice exports to China was signed during bi-lateral trade meetings held in Washington DC. An inspection of US rice mills and packaging facilities by the Chinese phytosanitary authorities is the next step to take place. The first exports to China will take several months but will provide a boost to …
Cattle Producers Fight Buzzard Predators
Cattle producers are seeking a depredation order from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service allowing producers to control the Black Headed Vulture, an invasive vulture species stalking and killing livestock. Adam McClung, Executive Vice President, Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association (ACA), said, “The Black Headed Vultures and the depredation loss cattlemen are seeing has been an ongoing discussion inside the ACA with …
Bayer Showcase Plot Tour 2017 – Illinois
Farmers and retailers gathered near Dekalb, Illinois on Tuesday for the Bayer Innovation Plus Tour. The event focused on corn and soybeans and included presentations on disease observations, selective corn herbicide trials, Balance GT demonstration, ILeVO Seed treatment & PPO Herbicides, Liberty weed control, new Credenz products and more. Below are one on one interviews with the presenters. You can …
SMART Farmer Carla Wardin
Our SMART Farmer in this episode comes from Michigan where she and her husband have a dairy operation that has been in her family for over a century. Carla Wardin is dedicated to telling the real story of dairy farming through her blog Truth or Dairy, and in 2014 was chosen to represent agriculture as one of the USFRA Faces …
Monsanto Call Provides Perspective on Dicamba Developments
Monsanto held a media briefing today to provide perspective on recent Dicamba developments. Monsanto spent years developing XtendiMax® with VaporGrip® Technology to minimize the potential for off-site movement. We are committed to remaining actively engaged in this conversation, doing our part to help farmers use the Roundup Ready® Xtend® Crop System successfully and ensure farmers have access to this important …