Register for August 23 Michigan conservation field day

JONESVILLE, Mich. — Through a partnership with the Hillsdale Soil Conservation District, Hillsdale County Farm Bureau and local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the 2018 Nutrient Management Field Day has been scheduled for August 23 from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and will be hosted by Jay and Kelli Williams of Stoney Ridge Farms, located at 14031 Broom Road in Waldron, Mich.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with refreshments and a chance to tour the vendor expo. Lunch will be provided, as well as 6 Michigan RUP Credits, 10 CCA Credits and MAEAP Phase 1 credit. There is no cost to attend this field day event, but registration is encouraged.

This year’s keynote speaker is Jamie Scott, farmer and “Cover Crop Master” from Pierceton, Ind. Headlined numerous times in No-till Farmer, Scott is an avid no-tiller, with over 30 years’ experience on the farm, and has been implementing cover crops for the past several years.

Morning breakout sessions will also include Stephanie Smith, 360 Yield Center regional agronomy manager and local farmer; Elliot Alfredson of Spartan Insurance; James Kyzar, process and safety engineer at New England Fertilizer Co.; Laura Campbell of Michigan Farm Bureau; and Tim Stutzman, local farmer.

Afternoon sessions will include a walk through the Cover Crop Test Plot and field equipment demonstrations from local equipment vendors including Kenn-Feld Group of Archbold, Ohio, and Paul Martin & Sons of Napoleon, Ohio. A farmer-led conservation panel and ice cream social will bring the day to a close. For more information and to register, call the Hillsdale Conservation District at 517-849-9890, ext. 3., email hillsdalecd@macd.org or visit www.hillsdalecd.org

JAY WILLIAMS and his son, Silas, of Stoney Ridge Farms prepare the cover crop test plot to be showcased at the 2018 Nutrient Management Field Day.

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Lowe and Young recognized by Krone for retail sales volume

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Krone NA announced that Lowe & Young of Wooster, Ohio, has been recognized as its highest Retail Sales Volume Dealer in the U.S. for fiscal year 2017. Krone is a global leader in the manufacture and sales of hay and forage equipment, doing business in 40 countries.

Earning this prestigious recognition as a retail sales leader for Krone takes significant effort, as each year more than 200 equipment dealers compete for this distinctive recognition. To be considered for this award, the dealerships must have exceptional sales, service and parts departments.

Lowe and Young carries the Krone forage equipment product line, including the BiG X forage harvesters, BiG M mower conditioners, BiG Pack large square balers, Comprima Round Balers, Disc Mowers and Mower Conditioners, KW Tedders and Swadro Rakes.

FROM LEFT ARE Jason Steiner and Craig Forrer of Lowe & Young; Brent Raines, Krone Hay and Forage Equipment; and Bill Hartzler and Bill Boreman, Lowe & Young.

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Aggressively Organic takes home Food+City Challenge Prize

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Aggressively Organic, Inc., a public benefits corporation and intellectual property company focused on agricultural bioscience technology, was named both a Challenge Prize Session winner and People’s Choice winner at the Food+City Challenge Prize competition during South by Southwest (SXSW), winning $10,000 and top recognition among supply chain startup companies.

The Food+City Challenge Prize is an international competition among early-stage startups that encourages innovation in the urban food system. For the first time, the fourth annual Challenge Prize competition took place at SXSW 2018 as part of the Startups and Tech track.

Nearly 100 applicants from 14 countries applied – including Aggressively Organic – with only 15 finalist spots available to deliver a four-minute pitch in front of a panel of judges. Of the three sessions, Indiana’s own Aggressively Organic earned the Food+City Challenge Prize for Session Two as well as the People’s Choice Award, making the agricultural bioscience company the first finalist ever to take home both awards.

Cattle producers host successful 2018 Michigan Beef Expo

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — High-quality cattle, friendly competition and rapid bidding made the 29th annual Michigan Beef Expo a success for Michigan’s cattle industry. The Expo included seedstock shows and sales for the Angus, Hereford, Chianina, Maine-Anjou, Shorthorn, Simmental and all other registered breeds (AORB’s).

The MSU Block & Bridle Club hosted a youth livestock judging competition with 100 youth participating along with the MSU livestock judging team, and a Junior Steer and Heifer show with over 500 cattle entered. MI Shows sponsored a youth education contest with over 40 individuals competing in essay, photograph, graphic design, stockman or salesmanship contests.

Breeders consigned 148 lots, including bulls, females, embryos and semen from breeders in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Ohio. The 2018 Supreme Champion Female is Angus Lot 112, KB Forever Lady E19, an open Angus heifer consigned by KB Angus of Merritt, Mich.

The 2018 Supreme Champion Bull – AORB Lot 705, 3G Double Booked 6116D, a Limousin Flex October 2016 bull – was consigned by 3G Ranch of Kendallville, Ind. Exhibitors of the Supreme Champion bull and female receive $500 courtesy of Rupp Seeds.

The high-selling female was Angus Lot 112, the Supreme Champion; she sold for $7,000 to Craig Pollington of Marion, Mich. The high-selling bull was Simmental Lot 443, JDCC MS In Dew Time 219B, consigned by DeLong Cattle Co. of Cass City, Mich., and purchased by William Pardee of Concord, Mich., for $6,000.

Total consignments at the Michigan Beef Expo grossed $299,750. The bulls averaged $2,425 on 48 lots and 85 females averaged $2,016, embryo lots averaged $925 and semen lots averaged $300.

Breed champions

Angus: Lot 112 was the Champion Angus female. The Champion Angus bull was awarded to Lot 117 of Hutchings Angus Farm of Bellevue, Mich.

Chianina: The Champion Chi female lot 203 was consigned by Brunke Chiangus Farm of St. Joseph, Mich., and the Champion bull, Lot 202, was exhibited by KVO Chiangus of Hamilton, Mich.

Hereford: Lot 304, exhibited by TCG Cattle Co. of Niles, Mich., was the Champion Hereford female and Sunnyside Stock Farms of Edgerton, Ohio, exhibited Lot 321, the Champion Hereford bull.

Maine-Anjou: Fox Shorthorns of Kanawha, Iowa, exhibited the Champion Maine-Anjou female Lot 607, and Muir Cattle Co. of Waynesfield, Ohio, exhibited the Champion Maine-Anjou bull Lot 603.

Shorthorn: Lot 509, Champion Shorthorn purebred female, was consigned by Dingman Farms of Bellevue, Mich. The Champion Shorthorn Plus Lot 518 was exhibited by Woodland Farms of Deckerville, Mich., and Champion Low Plus female Lot 515 was consigned by Holbrook Show Cattle of Hastings, Mich.

The Champion Shorthorn bull Lot 504 was exhibited by Woodland Farms of Deckerville, Mich. Dingman Farms of Bellevue, Mich., exhibited Champion Shorthorn Plus bull Lot 505.

Simmental: The Champion Simmental female Lot 443 was consigned by DeLong Cattle Co. of Cass City, Mich., and Champion Simmental bull Lot 420 was consigned by WXC Cattle Co. of Delton, Mich.

All Other Registered Breeds: Lot 712, consigned by Sugarbush Limousin of Allen, Wis., was the Champion Limousin and Champion AORB female. Champion Red Angus Lot 718 and Champion Charolais Lot 717 were both consigned by Walnut Springs Farms of Hopkins, Mich.

Champion Simmental female Lot 720 was consigned by JMR Show Stock of Hastings, Mich. The Champion AORB bull was Lot 705.

SUPREME CHAMPION FEMALE KB Forever Lady E19, an open Angus heifer, was consigned by KB Angus of Merritt, Mich.

SUPREME CHAMPION BULL 3G Double Booked 6116D, a Limousin Flex, was consigned by 3G Ranch of Kendallville, Ind.

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Diamond V at 75: New manufacturing facility springing up

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — As the structural steel rises at Diamond V’s South Plant 2, the company’s vision of global growth brings greatly expanded manufacturing capacity.

Construction on Diamond V’s 97,000 square-foot plant expansion resumed with the spring weather at the corporate campus and global headquarters on 60th Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids. The initial investment in the expansion – announced in 2016 – is $30 million. When all phases of the expansion are complete, the total cost is expected to exceed $70 million.

The new plant will be enclosed by the end of September. Machinery will be brought in around February and March of 2019 with the goal of being operational starting in May 2019.

When all systems are installed, the expansion is expected to double the current production capacity at Diamond V’s south manufacturing facilities, which includes the current 126,000 square-foot plant. The plant expansion is expected to create nine new jobs initially with the potential for 26 new jobs in the next five years. Diamond V also operates its north plant on G Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids.

Midwest Seed Genetics expansion and growth continues

KENTLAND, Ind. — Midwest Seed Genetics continues its growth with four senior managers joining the team. They are: Todd Claussen as director, Sales Agronomy; Chandra Edwards as senior operations manager; Wayne Hoener as Soybean Product manager; and Rodd Whitney as senior recruiting manager.

Claussen was formerly the director of Agronomy & Technical Services for Landus Cooperatives of Iowa. He has also held management positions with Monsanto Co. and JC Robinson Seed Co.

Edwards was formerly with Wilbur-Ellis, where she held brand manager Integra and operations manager Seed responsibilities. She previously worked for E-Markets.

Hoener was most recently vice president of sales for Schillinger Genetics, Inc. He also held management positions with Asgrow Seed Co. and Channel Bio Corp. And Whitney was formerly founding principal for One Purpose People Agricultural Recruiting. Prior to that, he held senior positions at Monsanto and Channel Bio.

DuPont, ADM open biobased FDME pilot facility in Illinois

DECATUR, Ill. — DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) announced the opening of the world’s first biobased furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) pilot production facility in Decatur.

The plant is the centerpiece of a longstanding collaboration that will help bring a greater variety of sustainably sourced biomaterials into the lives of consumers. Nearly 1/10 of the world’s oil is used to make the plastic products we use every day. FDME is a molecule derived from fructose that can be used to create a variety of biobased chemicals and materials, including plastics, that are ultimately more cost-effective, efficient and sustainable than their fossil fuel-based counterparts.

One of the first FDME-based polymers under development by DuPont is polytrimethylene furandicarboxyate (PTF). PTF is a 100 percent renewable polymer that, in bottling applications, can be used to create plastic bottles that are lighter-weight, more sustainable and better performing.

 ‘Redhead Ducks’ selected for Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The artwork of wildlife artist Jocelyn Beatty won first place in the 2018 Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp Design Competition, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Beatty’s painting of a pair of redheads will appear on the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp issued in the fall of 2019.

The winning entry was selected from a field of 12 original paintings. Last year's winner, Daniel Allard, will see his painting of ring-necked ducks appear on the 2018 Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp.

Beatty, of West Middlesex, Pa., won the competition for the first time. This year, second-place honors went to Jeffery Klinefelter (the 2016 competition winner) of Indiana with his painting of redheads. The third-place entry was by Adam Grimm (the 2013 competition winner) of South Dakota with his painting of mallards.

Ohioans are encouraged to participate in next year’s competition. For complete contest entry information, email Tim Daniel at tim.daniel@dnr.state.oh.us

Corteva, Monsanto reach licensing agreement on insect control

WILMINGTON, Del. — Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, and Monsanto Co. announced the completion of a licensing agreement for next-generation technology for insect control in corn for the United States and Canada that will expand options for farmers fighting corn rootworm, dubbed the “billion-dollar bug” for the damage it causes.

Corteva will receive a license to stack Monsanto’s Corn Rootworm III and MON89034 traits with its insect control traits. This agreement enables the development of the next generation of insect control technology for above- and belowground insect pests, and will be offered with the Enlist herbicide-tolerant trait for corn.

Financial details of the agreement are not being disclosed. Pending applicable regulatory reviews, it will be offered with the Enlist tolerant trait for corn, which provides tolerance to new 2,4-D choline, and FOP herbicides in addition to the base glyphosate tolerance.

USPOULTRY releases collaborative video on EPA inspections

TUCKER, Ga. — The U.S. Poultry & Egg Assoc. (USPOULTRY) is releasing a video that demonstrates what poultry and egg farms can expect if their farms are inspected by the U.S. EPA. To ensure the information is accurate and beneficial, USPOULTRY collaborated with EPA personnel to develop and produce the video.

Titled Why EPA and the States Inspect Farms, the video features reasons why a farm may be inspected, how the farmer should prepare for the inspection and how the inspection will likely be structured. Additionally, it provides insight to what inspectors look for when analyzing and addressing issues related to local water quality and provides information on assistance available to poultry and egg producers to address water quality issues.

The video can be viewed on USPOULTRY’s YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/csnGkvC55Hg

USPOULTRY family farm environmental award competition open

TUCKER, Ga. — The U.S. Poultry & Egg Assoc. (USPOULTRY) is accepting nominations for the 2019 Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award. This recognizes exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.

Those eligible for the award include any family-owned poultry grower or egg producer supplying product to a USPOULTRY member or an independent producer who is a USPOULTRY member. Nominations are due Oct. 1.

Nominations for the 2019 competition must be made by a USPOULTRY member or an affiliated state poultry association by completing the application provided by USPOULTRY. Each integrator or egg processor may nominate one grower or producer for each processing facility in each state supporting their operations.

Competition details are available at www.uspoultry.org/environment

Reynolds earns North American Dealer of the Year title

ATLANTA, Ind. — Reynolds Farm Equipment, a leading regional John Deere retailer, announced it is the 2018 North American Dealer of the Year, marking a first in its 63-year history and a first for an Indiana-headquartered equipment dealer.

Awarded by Farm Equipment magazine, the award recognizes the top North American agricultural equipment dealer based upon myriad performance metrics and selection by an independent panel of industry experts. In its 14th year, the award identifies the top performing dealer organization across all manufacturers’ dealers.

Founded in 1955 in Fishers, Ind., Reynolds operates seven store locations throughout the Midwest – five in Indiana, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky.

Hoosier Ag Today expands; launches new ‘Soil Health Podcast’

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. — Hoosier Ag Today has launched the HAT “Soil Health Podcast” in partnership with the Conservation Cropping System Initiative.  This monthly program will cover a variety of in-depth issues involved in adopting cover crops and other practices that promote soil health.

Hosted by HAT farm broadcaster Eric Pfeiffer, the program will feature Indiana farmers and technical experts who are taking steps to improve the health of the soil every day. In the first podcast last week, he was joined by Kosciusko County farmer and president of the Indiana Assoc. of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Jamie Scott, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service NW Indiana grazing specialist Susannah Hinds.

 The podcast is available on the HAT website at www.hoosieragtoday.com and on HAT social media channels. The podcast also provides links to additional resources to help growers with more in-depth information.

HAT also announced expansion of its statewide coverage in southeastern Indiana, with the addition of three leading radio stations in the area – WWWY-FM and WSLM-AM and FM.

WWWY-FM, licensed to North Vernon, is owned and operated by White River Broadcasting, which also owns WCSI-AM and WKKG-FM in Columbus. White River has a long history in the community and a heritage of serving the significant farming sector of southeastern Indiana.

WSLM-AM and FM, located in Salem in Washington County, have a long history of community involvement and agricultural programming. Both stations air several daily farm programs and, with the addition of HAT, have expanded their lineup even more.

National Angus carcass competition deadline nears

ONAGA, Kan. — Online entry is open for the Angus Value Discovery Contest (AVDC) until Sept. 7. In its second year, the nationwide contest will highlight commercial Angus producers aiming for the high-quality beef target.

The AVDC is especially meant for those who use best practices, retain some ownership of calves and receive carcass data. Producers can self-nominate this year.

To qualify, an eligible group must consist of 30 head or more, 70 percent sired by Angus bulls with a harvest date spanning more than a year, between August 1 2017-August 30, 2018. Groups will rank based on grade, yield, premiums and discounts noted in the packer summary.

First prize is $2,000 credit towards a future purchase from the winner’s designated seedstock provider, and second prize is $1,000 credit. Three-quarters of the prize money comes from Certified Angus Beef, with the rest from their genetics provider.

Both top placings earn two full registrations each to the National Angus Convention Nov. 3-5, in Columbus, Ohio. That includes travel credit and formal award recognition. Find more details online, and submit entries at www.cabpartners.com

For questions, contact Kara Lee at klee@certifiedangusbeef.com or call 330-345-2333.

Italpollina receives Biostimulant AgriBusiness Impact Award

ANDERSON, Ind. — Italpollina has been named the recipient of the inaugural AgriBusiness Global Industry Impact Award for the biostimulant sector.

The presentation of the award occurred at the culmination of the AgriBusiness Global Biostimulant CommerceCon event, which was co-located with the Trade Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Judging was executed by a panel of experts comprised of the AgriBusiness Global Biostimulant CommerceCon supporting partner and association leadership, and AgriBusiness Global parent company Meister Media Worldwide marketing and communication executives.

The prize awarded includes an integrated media package valued at nearly $25,000.

For more than 50 years, Italpollina has utilized science to enhance agriculture and develop solutions in a more natural way. The company is present in 80 countries and has grown to be a global leader in three proprietary technologies for the production of organic fertilizers, beneficial microbials and 100 percent vegetal-based biostimulants.