This week’s program is part two of a series featuring conversations with the leadership of agricultural media and marketing associations. This week I’m sharing conversations with Samantha Kilgore, AAEA, The Ag Communicators Network, Lindsay Graber Runft, Livestock Publications Council and Kristy Mach/John Blue, Agricultural Relations Council. Each of these organizations has had to cancel or postpone important annual events and …
Farmobile Unveils Crowd-Sourced Index
Tool gives subscribers daily views of plant and harvest progress – as it happens Farmobile LLC, Agriculture’s Independent Data Company™, announces the launch of the Farmobile Index – a crop progress and benchmarking tool that leverages crowd-sourced data to deliver planting and harvest insights to farmer-customers. The Farmobile Index provides users with a daily view into aggregate, state-level crop results, …
ZimmCast 643 – COVID-19 Impacts on Ag Communications
This edition of the ZimmCast is part one of at least two that feature conversations with the leadership of agricultural media and marketing associations. This week I’m sharing conversations with Jenny Pickett of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), Tom Brand with the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and Hugh Maynard of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists/Canadian Farm Writers. Each …
Ethanol Report 4-30-20
Ethanol producers are literally in the battle of their lives for the survival of the industry, as losses continue to mount from restrictions on travel put in place due to COVID-19. The latest production data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending April 24, ethanol production dropped another 4.6%, or 26,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 537,000 …
Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 3
Welcome to Episode 3 of the Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services, where we break down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Crop science experts and others in the agriculture industry will discuss topics ranging from nitrogen loss and soil health to ways growers can increase operational efficiencies. Retailer Perspectives on …
Results from NAMA #COVID19 Survey
The National Agri-Marketing Association just completed a simple survey of members with questions about their plans/intentions for the coming quarters of the year as well as the rest of the year as a whole. There were 212 respondents. Here are a couple of the questions with tidbits from the results. You can see the full document online here. For the …
ZimmCast 642 – Conversation with Calyxt
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’re going to learn about Calyxt, a plant science company, doing some very interesting work with new technology. I spoke with Calyxt CEO, Jim Blome, about the work they are doing. He focuses on the future of food and how the types of technology being developed at the company is …
Southern States Coop Partners with Heliae® Agriculture to Bring Regenerative Agriculture to their Farmer Owners
GILBERT, AZ – Southern States Cooperative is partnering with Heliae® Agriculture to bring innovative, new products to farmers that improve yields while enhancing soil health. Soil health is the foundation of the practice of regenerative agriculture. The selective distribution agreement announced today is a model for the future adoption of a ground-breaking approach developed by Heliae – to provide nutrients …
Farm Credit Update Call: Ag Credit, COVID-19, Assistance
Farm Credit leaders participated in a media call for an on-the-record update on agricultural credit conditions, COVID-19’s impact on farmers, ranchers and rural communities, and how Farm Credit is supporting our customers during this challenging time – including via the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. Each of the CEOs made a presentation and answered questions. Webinar participants: Todd Van Hoose, …
RFA Update on COVID-19 Impacts and Other Ethanol Issues
Through the middle of April, the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the effects of the Saudi-Russia oil price war, has had a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of dozens of plants across rural America. A new analysis estimates that U.S. ethanol sales in 2020 could fall by more than $10 …
USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
This evening U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program will take several actions to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. President Trump directed USDA to craft this $19 billion immediate relief program to provide critical support to our farmers and …
ZimmCast 641 – CommoditAg App
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program I’m featuring a conversation with John Demerly, CEO, CommoditAg, about the new app they launched during Commodity Classic. That was the last on location meeting either of us attended and it seems like a lot longer ago than it really is! John says the app provides the opportunity for agricultural …
Ethanol Report 4-16-20
The social-distancing and stay-at-home restrictions associated with COVID-19 continue to take a devastating toll on U.S. ethanol producers with about half of the industry’s capacity now idled. But the good news is how those ethanol producers, their farmer-owners and employees, have turned around and put those idled plants to good use by helping those on the front lines fighting the …
Agriculture Secretary Addresses U.S. Food Supply Issues
The White House Coronavirus Task Force Update on Wednesday included comments from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the U.S. food supply. Secretary Perdue discussed the health and safety of essential food processing workers, praised those working in the food industry, and stressed that the food supply is “strong, resilient, and safe.” He also stated that there is plenty …
U.S. Soy is Open for Business
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) held a webinar for the media Wednesday to provide an update on the industry and its continued resilience through this time. Participating in the webinar were, USSEC CEO Jim Sutter, USSEC Chairman Monte Peterson, and Regional Directors Brent Babb and Rosalind Leeck. They discussed the industry’s response to COVID-19 in various export markets, how …