Monday January 19 Ag News

2015 Weed and Insect Resistance Workshop in Fremont, Feb. 3rd

Nebraska Extension will be hosting a Weed and Insect Resistance Workshop for area producers and agricultural clientele interested in improving management of resistance weeds and insects. In 2014, western corn rootworm and common waterhemp were two of the main problematic pests that reduced yield and profits in eastern Nebraska.

The workshop is set for Tuesday, February 3, and will be held at the First State Bank and Trust Company at 1005 E 23rd St in Fremont from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Please use the south entrance that will be clearly marked for the event. Pre-registration is required and limited to 30 attendees. The workshop and provided materials will cost $30. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided.

This is a 4 hour long workshop that starts off with several topics for discussions and then active involvement of attendees. Topics of discussion will include: Insect resistance, herbicide tolerant crops, herbicide mode of action and site of action groupings, how weed resistance develops, weed resistance in the Midwest and Nebraska. Attendees will have a chance to conduct a hands-on exercises on weed control problems. Workshops speakers are members of the Nebraska Extension Weed Science and Entomology Teams, including: Stevan Knezevic (lead), Amit Jhala, Greg Kruger and Julie Peterson. This workshop is sponsored by the educational grant from the United Soybean Board.

Preregistration can be conducted via UNL website at http://agronomy.unl.edu/weedresistmgt. For more information or help in getting registered, contact Nathan Mueller at the Nebraska Extension County Office at 727-2775.



Nebraska Soy Checkoff Hosts International Marketing Tour in Pacific Northwest

Soybean producers spend months each year caring for their crop to ensure it’s the highest quality in the world. However, once soybeans leave the farm, producers may not know where their crop ends up or how their soybeans support end users. The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is giving 15 soybean producers the opportunity to experience the journey soybeans make from the field to their final destination.

Fifteen Nebraska soybean farmers will embark on an educational trip to Washington State to see firsthand how their checkoff dollars are being invested. This mission, which runs from March 9–12, 2015, will allow producers to see the export process beyond their local elevators and gain a better understanding of the importance of soybean exports to Nebraska’s agricultural industry.

Although farmers may not always know the final destination of their soybeans, exports play an important role in affecting their profitability. Half of Nebraska’s soybean crop is exported annually, which makes international markets vital to producers’ bottom lines.

To highlight the importance of international marketing, the group will tour the Tacoma Export Marketing Company, the Port of Grays Harbor, Ag Processing, Inc., an aquatic hatchery and Imperium Renewables, a biodiesel plant.

“The majority of Nebraska’s soybean exports travel through Washington State,” said Victor Bohuslavsky, executive director of the NSB. “The See for Yourself tour provides an opportunity for farmers to learn how their checkoff dollars support international marketing for exports. Their investment increases productivity, profitability and demand for soybeans.”

Producers interested in attending the See for Yourself event are encouraged to apply early, as space is limited. The deadline for application submissions is Feb. 2, 2015. To apply or for more information, contact the NSB at 402-441-3240 or by emailing Drew at drew@nebraskasoybeans.org.



Water quality, infrastructure top Iowa Soybean Association’s legislative agenda

Expanding water quality initiatives on Iowa’s farms and improving transportation infrastructure top the Iowa Soybean Association’s 2015 state legislative agenda.

“Water quality is at the forefront of our minds and we support proposed funding that will enable farmers to implement practices and carry out environmentally conscious efforts,” said Wayne Fredericks, ISA president-elect and public affairs committee chairman. “It’s also time to work on new fuel tax alternatives that could fund the maintenance of our bridges and roads.”

Fredericks noted that ISA is working with other commodity groups and organizations to generate ideas for securing funding for transportation infrastructure initiatives. The timing seems right because Governor Branstad has indicated he will support legislation to increase funding for Iowa’s road and bridge maintenance.

“As shown by recent revenues, agriculture is clearly an economic driver for Iowa,” said Fredericks who farms near Osage. “Investments in research and infrastructure are vital to keeping agriculture strong, even during a period of lower grain prices. ISA will continue to support strategic investments in agricultural infrastructure.”

Improving environmental performance also remains a priority for the ISA. Fredericks said the extensive on-farm and environmental databases that ISA maintains is a valuable resource for farmers and legislators as they study the issue and identify practices that have a quantifiable impact on water quality.

“We concentrate on providing information for legislators,” said Carol Balvanz, ISA policy director. “We plan to participate heavily in the negotiations surrounding both road funding and funding for continuing Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy.”

Other ISA policy priorities include:

·         Disseminating information generated by the Soy Transportation Coalition to pursue a state bridge evaluation study to determine whether rural bridge embargoes have been correctly assessed. By using instrumentation to physically assess bridge strength, Iowa may be able to reduce the number of bridges that need replacement and repair across the state.

·         Encouraging legislation that would implement a state income tax credit for farmers who spend their own money on water quality and soil-saving efforts.

·         Working with the Ag Appropriations committee to obtain approval for the Integrated Farm and Livestock Management (IFLM) program which will be leveraged with checkoff and industry dollars to provide more research of benefits to farmers and the state as a whole.

·         Supporting funding for the ISU Ag Experiment Station and ISU Extension.



Iowa Tops U.S. in Total Storage Capacity

Iowa on-farm storage capacity on December 1, 2014, was 2.00 billion bushels, unchanged from December 1, 2013, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service -- Grain Stocks report.

Iowa's 900 off-farm storage facilities have a storage capacity of 1.43 billion bushels, 30 million bushels above the previous year.

As of December 1, 2014, Iowa had a total of 3.43 billion bushels of storage capacity, the largest total storage capacity of any state.



NEW AG INNOVATIONS TO DEBUT AT THE 2015 IOWA POWER FARMING SHOW

Midwest growers and ranchers needn t travel far to see the latest innovations from world-class farm equipment manufacturers and agribusinesses. Exciting new products and services, including farm equipment, high tech electronics and precision ag technologies, will be displayed over the course
of three days at the 2015 Iowa Power Farming Show.

Ths year's show, which takes place February 3 - 5 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, will feature more than 780 ag-related companies and nearly 1840 total booths, making it the third largest indoor farm show in the U.S.

The show is about quality exhibitors from every category showcasing the best and latest ag products and services they have to offer, said Tom Junge, show director of the Iowa Power Farming Show.

One area drawing a lot of interest right now is robotic aircraf that are designed to capture overhead images of crops and provide growers a cost effctive method to identify areas of concern. Seven Unmanned Aerial Systems will be displayed at the show.

New electronics include web-based tools that farmers can use to develop the best precision business plan for each fild and farming operation. Th softare provides the tools needed to quickly collect and use machine-generated data and to characterize crop budget scenarios across diffrent management zones. FARMserver , AgSolver Profi Zone Manager and Ag Leader s AgFiniti Map offr such products.

Other new electronics include: FarmSage, a mobile farm management app that saves time and money by tracking farm records with any mobile device, tablet, or desktop computer; Loadrite Farm Tractor hydraulic weighing scale which can be calibrated for nine diffrent attachments; Central City Scale offrs a new grain cart scale app-based wireless system that connects mobile devices to grain cart weigh load bars; and NORAC's Hybrid Mode" in-crop spraying feature which eliminates the need for the operator to take manual control of the boom while spraying in diffilt crop conditions.

New equipment will also be featured such as high speed tillage from Rite Way and Norwood; Grain Vacs from Rem Manufacturing and Walinga; grain carts from J & M and Unverferth; planters from Kinze and Horsh; grain conveyors from KSI and Brandt; and loader attachments from Dougherty, Land Pride, Lowe and Shaver.

Th list of tractor manufacturers includes Case IH, Challenger, John Deere, Kubota, Mahindra, Massey Ferguson, McCormick, New Holland and Versatile. McCormick will be showing their new X7 Series tractor.

Whatever category of ag products you re interested in learning more about, you can bet the best companies in that particular niche will be in Des Moines putting their best and latest products on display, Junge said.

For a complete list of new products, show information and directions, visit www.iowapowershow.com.



USFRA To Bring Animal Care To Center Stage During The Food Dialogues At The Dairy Forum On January 28

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) will assemble a range of voices to discuss animal care and animal care standards during The Food Dialogues®: Dairy Forum; Animal Care and Consumers' Emerging Expectations. The event will take place at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Dairy Forum from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 in Boca Raton, FL.

"Animal care and welfare is not only an important factor in consumers' purchasing decisions, but it's also of the upmost importance to America's farmers and ranchers, food processors and retailers," said Nancy Kavazanjian, chairperson of USFRA. "USFRA is excited to partner with IDFA to host a dialogue on this topic that is so important to the U.S. food industry."

Food industry and animal care experts will discuss the various tools and strategies that farmers, ranchers and veterinarians use to promote animal health and a safe food supply. These animal care techniques and practices – from housing to the use of antibiotics – are increasingly important to food manufacturers and consumers as they're making sourcing and purchasing decisions. The event's discussion will address whether what is happening on farms and ranches across the nation is meeting consumers' expectations.

"This important animal care session will be a great exclamation point to the Dairy Forum," said Connie Tipton, chief executive officer of IDFA. "Having been a panelist for a previous Food Dialogues, I know how engaging these discussions are and I'm thrilled to bring this important topic to all of the dairy processors, producers, suppliers, retailers, academics and media that will be at the Dairy Forum."

Elisabeth Leamy, a 13-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, author and Dr. Oz consumer and investigative correspondent will return to moderate the panel. Leamy also moderated The Food Dialogues: Chicago; Integrity in Food Marketing in June.

The panel will include:
-    Chuck Ahlem, dairy farmer, Hilmar Jerseys, Hilmar, California
-    Dr. Marcia Endres, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of dairy science, University of Minnesota
-    Bruce Feinberg, global animal health and welfare officer, McDonald's
-    Dr. Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D., president and CEO, American Humane Association
-    Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation
-    Mike Reidy, senior vice president, corporate affairs, Leprino Foods Company

The panel is open to all registered attendees of the Dairy Forum and will also be available online. To register for the live stream, go to Food Dialogues: Dairy Forum page on FoodDialogues.com.

For more information about USFRA or The Food Dialogues, visit FoodDialogues.com. Follow the panel discussion on USFRA's Twitter handle @USFRA using #FoodD. To review a video recap of the session, visit Food Dialogues: Dairy Forum page. For more information about the IDFA's Dairy Forum, visit http://www.idfa.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/dairyforum2015.



CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), Upstate-Niagara/O-AT-KA, and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 815,270 pounds (370 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese and 1.797 million pounds (815 metric tons) of 82% butter to customers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Central America. The product will be delivered in January through July 2015.

These CWT-assisted sales by these member cooperatives are going to thirteen countries on four continents. The sales are the equivalent of 338.491 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



CHS Inc. prices $450 million public offering of preferred stock

CHS Inc. has announced the pricing on Jan. 13, 2015, of 18,000,000 shares of Class B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, Series 4 (the "Class B Series 4 Preferred Stock") with a dividend rate of 7.500% per annum and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share. The offering is expected to close on or about Jan. 21, 2015, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

In addition, CHS Inc. has granted the underwriters for the offering a 30-day option to purchase up to 2,700,000 additional shares of Class B Series 4 Preferred Stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

CHS Inc. intends to use the net proceeds of this offering to partially fund the anticipated construction of a nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant to be located in Spiritwood, N.D., which would provide the region's farmers with enhanced supplies of crop nutrients essential to raising corn and other crops.

The Class B Series 4 Preferred Stock is a new issue of securities and, prior to this offering, there has been no established trading market. CHS Inc. has applied to list the Class B Series 4 Preferred Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CHSCL." The Class B Series 4 Preferred Stock has not been rated by any nationally recognized statistical rating agency.



The Andersons Launches New Brand Campaign

The Andersons announced that it has launched a new brand campaign "And Beyond," which includes a refresh to the corporate website www.andersonsinc.com and associated promotional collateral.

"The 'And Beyond' campaign builds on the equity of the previous 'And' theme that we've had in place for about six years," says Tom Waggoner, Vice President, Marketing and Operations Services. "This campaign provides a fresh perspective that keeps our brand moving forward. The theme highlights that The Andersons goes beyond the ordinary with our market expertise and beyond expectations in the strong relationships we form."

With various business groups operating in 21 states across the country, the "And Beyond" campaign reflects The Andersons as a diversified, yet united, company. Although serving diversified industries, the business groups share a strong commitment to grow enduring relationships through extraordinary service, a deep knowledge of the market and a knack for finding new ways to add value as the company has done for nearly 70 years.

The Andersons is a diversified company rooted in agriculture. Founded in Maumee, Ohio, in 1947, the company conducts business across North America in the grain, ethanol, and plant nutrient sectors, railcar leasing, turf and cob products, and consumer retailing.



Agribotix Launches First On-Demand Data Processing Platform For Agricultural Drones

Imagine being a farmer in the 21st century: Crop prices are highly variable, the climate is changing and global population growth demands higher yields from fewer cultivated acres. This is the new era of farming, where "precision agriculture" practices offer a new approach to crop management, one that wrings out waste and uses data to maximize crop yields – and profits. As in other industries, technology is reshaping farming. Drones are an excellent way to gather detailed information about every square inch of a field, but making sense of these large volumes of data creates new challenges.

Agribotix, a pioneer in turnkey drone data collection and analysis services, today announced its new cloud-based, Bring Your Own Drone™ data processing solution; available to anyone using any drone for agricultural data collection, anywhere in the world. The on-demand service processes drone-collected data and returns actionable recommendations.

"During our first year flying our own drones over crops, we discovered that drone pilots need a simple way to produce reports that are useful to a farmer. This includes everything from an overhead view of a field used to spot problem areas, to a zone map for precise fertilizer application. We've developed a solution that addresses these needs and more," said Paul Hoff, Agribotix CEO. "The resulting reports can be imported into virtually any farm data management system," Hoff noted.

"Agricultural drone pilots don't want to be software experts; they want to focus on the business of producing reports for their customers that maximize crop yields and improve their bottom line. We give them a very high level of customer service and fast turnaround so that they can act quickly, before conditions change."