Indigo Ag establishing headquarters in downtown Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Agriculture technology company Indigo Ag, Inc. said it is moving its North American headquarters to Memphis.

Indigo Ag CEO David Perry said the fast-growing startup plans to invest about $6.6 million and add 700 jobs over the next three years as it moves its headquarters from Boston to a downtown-Memphis building next to the city's minor-league baseball stadium and near hotels and historic Beale Street.

Indigo treats seeds with plant microbes and sells them to cotton, soybean, rice and corn farmers seeking higher crop yields. It also helps farmers market and sell crops. Perry said Memphis' proximity to farmers who use its product is a significant reason for its decision.

AFT announces protection of two critical farms in Michigan

WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Farmland Trust (AFT) announced the protection of two critical farms in Michigan. The farms were saved with assistance from AFT’s Owen and Ellen Love Family Farmland Protection Fund (the Love Fund), which helps Michigan communities and land trusts permanently protect farmland.

The two farms protected include the 84-acre Crothers Farm located in Resort Township, Emmet County, a partnership with the Little Traverse Conservancy and other groups; and the Bradford family dairy farm, a project in conjunction with Kent County’s Agricultural Preservation Board.

Both projects were supported by the Love Fund, launched after Owen and Ellen Love donated their 660-acre farm outside Climax, Mich., to AFT. The lifelong farmers cared passionately about the future of agriculture and wanted to be a model for other farmers to follow.

In accordance with the Loves’ wishes, AFT protected their farm with an agricultural conservation easement after the couple died, and sold it in 2010 to a local farm family, with proceeds establishing the Love Fund.

Run by Eleanor, Robert and Benjamin Crothers, all in their seventies, the Crothers Farm has high-quality, desirable soils for crop production but is in the path of development. Resort Township also contributed to the project, marking the first time that local funding was applied to the purchase of an agricultural conservation easement in Emmet County.

A second grant from the Love Fund will also provide the dedicated funding needed for Kent County’s Agricultural Preservation Board to complete the protection of the Bradford Farm, a modernized family dairy located in a region threatened by encroaching development from Grand Rapids, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

IFEEDER, M4L invite donations for Cornwell scholarship fund

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), in partnership with the Milling4Life (M4L) charity, has launched a fundraising drive in support of a scholarship that provides financial assistance to students pursuing careers in the food and feed manufacturing sectors.

The charities announced they aim to raise $75,000 over the next few months, with the goal of offering the scholarship in perpetuity if sufficient funds are raised. The Mark Cornwell scholarship is named after the late Cornwell, a leading voice for the food and feed industries, who passed away in 2017.

It will provide scholarships to students from around the world taking advanced courses in grain storage, handling or processing and/or food and feed manufacturing, at a variety of U.S. institutions. IFEEDER and M4L are inviting companies and individuals throughout the industry to donate to the scholarship fund via https://bit.ly/2EsL629

Land O'Lakes, Tate & Lyle announce a corn collaboration

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN and global ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle announced a new collaboration to advance conservation practices on Midwest farms, specifically in sourcing sustainable corn.

The relationship enables Tate & Lyle, a significant user of U.S.-grown corn, to enhance sustainable agriculture by helping corn farmers target and measure the impact of their environmental stewardship efforts, using the latest technology.

The collaboration leverages the Truterra Insights Engine, a new interactive on-farm digital platform from Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN, that helps farmers scale their environmental stewardship efforts and assess return-on-investment in real time, acre-by-acre.

In turn, the Truterra Insights Engine supports Tate & Lyle to have greater visibility of its environmental footprint beyond the factory gates, enabling the company and its customers to make informed decisions about their supply chain environmental strategies.

Nachurs Alpine Solutions acquires new manufacturing plant

MARION, Ohio — Nachurs Alpine Solutions is pleased to announce it has acquired the Garretson, S.D., manufacturing plant and the related specialty NPK business from Koch Fertilizer, LLC.

The Garretson facility is Nachurs Alpine Solutions’ seventh plant across North America and all current personnel at the facility will remain on staff. Murray Van Zeggelaar, VP of Marketing, said, “We look forward to continued service of existing customers of the Garretson facility, as well as improving our capabilities and service for our current Nachurs Alpine Solutions customers in the upper Midwest.”

County Farm Bureaus recognized at Indiana state convention

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — During a special reception held for award winners at the Indiana Farm Bureau state convention, the organization recognized the achievements of county Farm Bureaus.

Seven Impact Awards were presented. This recognizes county Farm Bureaus for efforts that result in a significant impact or an increase in political influence and clout. Of these, the three Image Awareness category winners were:

•Benton County Farm to Fork dinner was an opportunity to raise awareness of Farm Bureau by celebrating agriculture and raising money for the Benton Community Food and Service Co-op. There were 160 attendees at the event and $10,000 was raised.

•Clark County “Farm Fact Friday” Facebook posts taught the public about agriculture by sharing a farm fact online every Friday. The initiative was used to start meaningful conversations about agricultural topics and increase the awareness of ag’s impact on the community.

•Jay County Cooking Club is an after-school program that taught students how to prepare nutritious snacks and meals. Part of the initiative was an attempt to teach the importance of a healthy lifestyle, while the other goal was to educate children on how their food is produced.

FMC Corp. earns top honors at 2018 Agrow Awards

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — FMC Corp. took top honors in several categories at last year’s Agrow Awards, an international competition honoring the top advancements in agriculture.

FMC won Best R&D Pipeline and Best Application Technology for its at-plant 3RIVE 3D application system. In addition, Dr. William E. Barnette, retired director of Discovery Chemistry for FMC, was recognized with the prestigious Agrow Lifetime Achievement Award.

Currently used in corn and soybeans, 3RIVE 3D technology is being tested in sugar beets, cotton, dry beans, sunflowers and more. A robust pipeline of new 3RIVE 3D formulated products are in development, including ones that combine multiple active ingredients including insecticides, fungicides and biostimulants.

The Agrow Awards recognize the industry’s successes, setting a benchmark for excellence while rewarding innovative ideas and concepts that have pushed the boundaries of what is possible. Recipients are chosen from entries taken from around the world and adjudicated by a distinguished judging panel.

Top honors announced in UT Wines of the South contest

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the 17th year, the University of Tennessee Food Science Department hosted the Wines of the South regional wine competition in October. Forty-seven wineries from eight states competed against one another in categories such as rosé and blush, red, sparkling, white and cider.

Seven of the top “best of” awards went to Tennessee wineries, with the Best of Show award going to Narmada Winery of Amissville, Va., chosen from a pool of winning entries named best in their class.

•Best of Rosé and Blush – Country Rapids, by Mill Bridge Winery, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

•Best of Dessert/Fruit – Blackberry, by Old Millington Winery, Millington

•Best of Sparkling – Muscadine Spumante, by Hillside Winery, Sevierville

•Best of White – Moscato, by The Winery at Seven Springs Farm, Maynardville

•Best of Muscadine – Muscadine Spumante, by Hillside Winery

•Best of Cider – Pomicide, by Mill Bridge Winery

•Best of Red – Midnight, by Narmada Winery, Amissville, Va.

The competition also honored vintages made with 100 percent Tennessee fruit with the William O. Beach Award, which is named for Judge William O. Beach, of Clarksville. In the late 1970s he pioneered legislation that revived Tennessee’s wine industry; later, he co-founded Beachaven Vineyards & Winery LTD. The 2018 Beach Award winner was Muscadine Spumante, by Hillside Winery.

Corteva, Lilly, IBRI win big for data-sharing collaboration

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A collaboration spanning the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries received a top honor at the 2018 Agrow Awards. On Nov. 12 in London, Corteva Agriscience, Eli Lilly & Co, and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) won the Best Industry Collaboration Award for their work on an open toxicogenomics platform called CTox.

The platform, the culmination of two years of co-development, has the potential to revolutionize sustainable product innovation in both pharmaceuticals and agriculture. CTox is an open-source technology platform enabling researchers to access toxicogenomic data for early-stage human health risk assessment.

Toxicogenomics, which uses advanced computational techniques to analyze molecular data spanning the entire genome, allows scientists to characterize products for human health hazards and to design new products with health as a central focus.

Illinois innovators receive grants for ag-related programs

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Groups striving to make innovative impacts on agriculture and rural America are receiving $150,000 in grants from Compeer Financial.

A total of 13 have been selected for grants where Compeer Financial serves as lead investor for a program that fills a known void for clients served by the cooperative. These programs spark a new project and inspire ideas and skills to shape current and future agriculturalists.

Applicants were referred to the program from a Compeer Financial team member. Illinois recipients are:

•Chicago Botanical Gardens, Farm on Ogden: $30,000 will be used build out a demonstration kitchen space and purchase a tilt kettle to provide cooking classes and locally grown fresh food and vegetables to urban residents.

•Colfax Restoration Project, Downtown Greenspace: $2,700 will provide landscaping, painted murals on buildings and other expenses related to displaying historical items and seating areas.

•Lexington FFA, Agriculture Program Revitalization: $7,500 for carpentry, metalwork, horticulture and aquaculture supplies for the Agriculture Department.

•Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, Farmers Market Expansion: $4,265 for advertising expenses and indoor facility rental for expanding Farmers Market and Winter Market.

•Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau, Expanding Youth Agricultural Education: $5,500 for resources for Ag in the Classroom lessons and events.

Iowa AgriTech Accelerator honored with economic award

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa AgriTech Accelerator is pleased to be the recipient of the Mid-America Economic Development Council's (Mid-America EDC) 2018 Entrepreneurial Award (Large Division).

Megan Vollstedt, executive director for The Accelerator, accepted the award last month at Mid-America EDC’s 2018 annual Competitiveness Conference & Site Selector Forum in Chicago.

The Accelerator has support from some of the largest and well-known ag-tech and ag-related companies in Iowa, including Corteva Agriscience, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co., Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp., John Deere, Peoples Co. and Sukup Manufacturing Co., in addition to more than 120 volunteer mentors.

The Accelerator is an initiative of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Cultivation Corridor and is built upon the success of the Global Insurance Accelerator — 2017 recipient of the Mid-America EDC Entrepreneurial Award.

GEA delivers 10,000th liquid manure spreader to Iowa

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — GEA recently achieved a significant milestone in its company history by manufacturing its 10,000th liquid manure spreader tank. With a stainless steel reservoir capacity of 10,500 gallons, the EL48-8D 8800 is the biggest single reservoir model available on the market.

The unit was sold by GEA dealer Automated Waste Systems (AWS) LLC and delivered to PK Winter Farms, Inc. in Sheldon, Iowa. GEA’s liquid manure spreader product line includes eight models with capacities to suit all sizes of livestock farms and manure hauling businesses. The EL48-8D 8800 is GEA’s largest model.

Founded in 1957 in Wickham, Quebec, Canada, J. Houle & Fils, Inc. was acquired in April 2007 by WestfaliaSurge GmbH, an international leading manufacturer of milking equipment and a member of the GEA Group. Since 2015, the manure management product line is part of GEA’s milking and dairy farming product group.

Douglas Products creates new Plant Health Division

LIBERTY, Mo. — Douglas Products announced the formation of a new Plant Health Division following the addition of two companies known for innovation in biological plant nutrition and soil health.

Growth Products, based in White Plains, N.Y., joined Douglas Products on Oct. 19, and AgriEnergy Resources, based in Princeton, Ill., joined on Dec. 10. Growth Products produces and markets liquid nutrient and biological technologies serving the turf and ornamental, agriculture, arbor care and residential markets. AgriEnergy Resources specializes in the development and production of microbial and other soil fertility products for horticulture and row crops.

Growth Products and AgriEnergy Resources will continue to operate from their respective current headquarter locations.

Deere to launch startup collaborator program

OLATHE, Kan. — Deere & Co. is launching the Startup Collaborator program in its Intelligent Solutions Group to enhance and deepen its interaction with startup companies whose technology could add value for John Deere customers.

John Stone, senior vice president of Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group, said the Startup Collaborator provides flexibility for Deere and startup companies to test innovative technologies with customers and dealers without a more formal business relationship. Startups also gain affiliation with and mentoring from a world leader in precision agriculture.

Three leading startups working to transform agriculture are already part of the program:

•Bear Flag Robotics – A California company developing autonomous technology for farm tractors and implements to reduce operational expense and increase worker safety

•Hello Tractor – A Nigerian company with a strong understanding of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa that has developed an application to manage tractor fleets for small holder farmers

•Taranis – An Israeli company that developed an automated field scouting service based on sub-millimeter aerial imagery using deep learning for problem detection and analysis in agriculture

AgGateway announces leadership, releases annual report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — AgGateway has announced its 2019 leadership, including the directors of its Strategic Board and Operational Management Board, and leaders of its councils and committees. Those names may be found at www.aggateway.org/AboutUs/OurLeadership.aspx

The nonprofit organization fosters collaboration among its 200 member companies, and with global standards organizations and industry partners, to improve how agricultural information can be used to maximize efficiency and productivity.

AgGateway has also released its 2018 Annual Report, which summarizes recent achievements in streamlining how information moves through the supply chain. It may be found online at https://bit.ly/2CX2NET

In addition, AgGateway announced its Mid-Year Meeting will be held June 10-13 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, and its Annual Conference will be Nov. 4-6 at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.

New round of Tennessee ag enterprise fund recipients

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Six more Tennessee businesses will now have the opportunity to grow and positively impact rural economies through grants provided by the Agriculture Enterprise Fund (AEF).

Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Jai Templeton and Economic and Community Development Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brooxie Carlton announced the fifth round of recipients of funding through the program. A product of the Governor’s Rural Task Force, the AEF supports job creation and economic growth by facilitating ag development. It provides assistance to new and expanding Tennessee agriculture, forestry and food businesses, particularly in rural counties.

New grant recipients and projects include:

•Clark Lumber, Macon County – expanding production capacity

•Fayette Packing, Fayette County – adding a processing room

•Lost State Distilling, Sullivan County – creating a new distilling business that will use locally produced grain

•Nash Family Creamery, Bedford County – adding a creamery

•Shop Springs Creamery, Wilson County – adding a creamery

•Waverly Wood, Humphreys County – adding a pine scragg mill to produce pine lumber for pallet manufacturers

Over $150K raised for Western Equipment Dealers foundations

CALGARY, Alberta — The Western Equipment Dealers Assoc. (WEDA) is thrilled to announce more than $150,000 was raised at its International Dealer Conference for WEDA's Foundations. Funds raised will go toward scholarships to support career and technical education programs for ag equipment technicians.

Recognizing critical labor shortages of properly trained dealership employees, the Canada Equipment Dealers Foundation (CEDF) and the Western Equipment Dealers Foundation (WEDF) were established as the arms-length charitable organizations of WEDA. Focusing on professional education and workforce development issues specific to the industry, they help to fund educational programs and services for agricultural, industrial and outdoor power equipment dealers across North America.

Since its inception in 2015, the WEDF has raised more than $110,000 through fundraising events and $70,000 has been spent on scholarships and other programs. The CEDF and WEDF goals are to build a $1 million endowment fund to ensure equipment dealers continue to have the people and skills to be successful.

For information on ways to give and participate, call John Schmeiser, WEDA CEO, at 403-250-7581.

Vets Plus acquires Merrick’s, serving production animal biz

MENOMONIE, Wis. — Vets Plus, Inc., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of animal health and nutrition products, announced it has acquired Merrick’s Inc., maker of boluses, tablets, powders and electrolytes serving the production animal industry.

The new entity, known as Merrick’s Animal Health, LLC, acquired Merrick’s assets effective Dec. 14. It will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vets Plus, the Menomonie-based company founded in 1990 by Rajiv Lall. Vets Plus is an innovation leader in the global animal health industry, employing more than 200 people at its Menomonie campus.

Merrick’s Animal Health will continue to manufacture and sell its full line of products from its manufacturing plant in Wonewoc, Wis. Sales and customer service operations will remain at its Middleton office. All Merrick’s employees will stay with the new entity.

Raven Industries closes deal to acquire AgSync of Indiana

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Raven Industries announced it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of AgSync, Inc., headquartered in Wakarusa, Ind.

This acquisition will immediately align under the company’s Applied Technology division, a leading technology provider in the precision agriculture industry, and greatly enhance its Slingshot platform by delivering a seamless logistics solution for ag retailers, custom applicators and enterprise farms.

AgSync, established in 2008, has developed solutions for ag retailers, aerial applicators, forestry, seed companies and enterprise customers to overcome challenges related to managing large fleets, multiple locations, limited personnel and disconnected software systems in their operations. As AgSync has been a Raven Slingshot partner for several years, the acquisition will further integrate its capabilities into the platform and into the cabs of various application equipment.

Copperhead Agricultural Products acquires RK Products

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Two great agricultural companies are coming together to provide enhanced products for farmers. Copperhead Agricultural Products, based in Sioux Falls, will acquire RK Products, based in Moline, Ill., and founded by Phil Kester.

Since 2015, Copperhead Ag and RK Products have been working in partnership to expand the RK footprint so even more farmers can take advantage of their products. In 2018, after 20 years in the business, the Kester family made the tough choice to sell their company in order to focus on other areas.

Products that will be available under the RK line include the gauge wheel arm pivot kit and the closing wheel frame pivot kit. The kits upgrade pivot and wear points on the gauge wheel arm and closing wheel frame. These kits, now offered by Copperhead Ag, provide an improved design to those components while repairing previous wear and significantly reducing future wear, without compromise.

Test your seed in the bag in new, unbiased research program

WILLIAMSBURG, Ind. — As more seed companies pull out of third-party testing, Agricultural Research and Testing (ART), an independent seed research company out of Williamsburg, is offering a new way for farmers to obtain the unbiased seed data they need when choosing what to plant in their fields.

Called the Farmers’ Research Family, the program allows them to directly test the corn and soybean seed in their bags to ensure the product they purchase meets their quality expectations. Farmers gain reliable data by choosing the testing region for their seed from 16 locations throughout Indiana and Ohio: from Remington to Evansville, Ind., and from Delta to Chillicothe and Washington Court House, Ohio.

Farmers help control testing in the Farmers’ Research Family by providing 15 pounds of their seed of choice, with tags, to ART; choosing testing locations; and paying the entry fee that is the equivalent of a bag of seed corn ($300 for one corn hybrid and $250 for one bean variety, with multiple hybrid/variety discounts available). ART then plants, harvests and tests the seed, providing 11 data points of information to participants.

Prior to planting, farmers will receive warm germ, cold germ and accelerated aging data from tests by Indiana Crop Improvement. Stand counts and vigor ratings will be available after planting. After harvest, farmers will receive data on yield, moisture, test weight, stalk lodging, root lodging and general appearance/fall intactness.

The deadline to participate is March 20. Learn more by contacting Cody Handley at 765-238-2719 or handley145@gmail.com

Farm Dog opens precision ag platform to extension agents

SALINAS, Calif. — Farm Dog Technologies, a precision agriculture platform for pest and disease management, is now providing free access to its digital platform for all extension agents.

Liron Brish, CEO of Farm Dog, said the firm has seen firsthand how extension agents have been hampered by budget limitations in their ability to serve grower communities through new, digital methods. To help offset these challenges, Farm Dog has partnered with the National Assoc. County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) to bring access to the Farm Dog platform to agents across the country.

For more information, agents can learn more at https://farmdog.ag or email Farm Dog at extension@farmdog.ag

NCGA corn grower champs share tips with regional farmers

BOURBON, Ind. — Randy Dowdy and David Hula spent two days in Bourbon teaching and sharing information about grain production with farmers from Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana.

The Next Level camps started by Dowdy are specifically geared toward producers who have found themselves wanting to learn how to obtain a greater level of grain production. While Dowdy and Hula share experiences of growing world-record 542-bushel corn and 170-bushel soybeans, return on investment is a central theme of the camps.

The Next Level Camp concept was started in 2017 with one group in Nebraska and is expanding into the Midwest in 2019 with a total of eight or more groups. Camps expand thinking about production, dealing with everything from planting through harvest on a specific and clear level. Dowdy and Hula openly share their experiences and what has worked and what has not.

The next session of the camp is March 7-8 in Plymouth, Ind. If you would like more information, go to www.dowdycropinnovations.com and fill out an interest form.