Des Moines, Iowa, recently played host to 62 student delegates meeting for the inaugural Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Crop Science Institute. This news release from the group says this one of four AFA Leader Institutes, which connect passionate, talented college students from 25 universities from 21 different states to various sectors of the agriculture industry. “Career exploration is an … Read More
WinField to Put People Back in Touch with Farms
About 98 percent of Americans are not directly connected to where their food comes from, leaving many people with misconceptions about how food is produced. Agribusiness WinField is working to bridge that gap by partnering with Fair Oaks Farms to open the WinField Crop Adventure, an interactive educational exhibit that engages people of all ages. This news release says the … Read More
Study: Strip-Till Outperforms No-Till in Improving Soils
A technique that’s a hybrid between tilling the soil and practicing no-till outperforms the latter when it comes to improving soil quality. This news release from the American Society of Agronomy says a new five-year study shows the benefits of strip-till, which has only the crop rows where seeds will be planted being tilled. “Strip-till is in between the two … Read More
Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act Passes House
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act has passed the U.S. House on a 275-150 vote, another step to ensuring that farmers will be able to use the safe technology, GMOs. The news was welcomed by a variety of politicians and ag groups. “For the past two years we have worked hard to defend our farmers’ right to use the … Read More
New Cost Share Program Offered for Cover Crops
Iowa soybean growers are being offered a new cost share program designed to boost the use of cover crops. The Conservation Technology Information Center says the offer covers up to $25 per acre plus discounts on Soil First brand cover crop seed by La Crosse Seed to Iowa soybean growers willing to establish or expand cover crop acreage and sign … Read More
Granular Raises $18.7 Mil in Latest Round of Financing
Farm management software and analytics tools developer Granular has raised $18.7 million in the latest round of financing for the company. The California-based company says this will help them in their latest drive to expand. “We are excited to work with this top group of new and returning investors to become the leading provider of software and analytics to the … Read More
Organic Alfalfa Seed Coating to Protect Against Disease
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that a natural seed coating that protects alfalfa against some soilborne diseases. This article from the agency says the coating offers an organic alternative to the fungicidal treatment mefenoxam, which is ineffective against the pathogen causing Aphanomyces root rot (ARR), common to Midwestern soils. Demand for organic alfalfa for organic … Read More
Iteris Partners with Conservis Corporation
A leader in information solutions for the transportation and agriculture markets has teamed up with the industry leader in farm management software are teaming up. Iteris, Inc. has partnered with Conservis Corp. to integrate Iteris’ ClearAg Visualization Components and Advisory Services into Conservis’ next-generation farm management information system (FMIS) platform. Conservis’ FMIS platform manages more than $8 billion of farm … Read More
Survey: Cover Crops Expand in Acres, Boost Yields
A new survey shows that more farmers are planting more cover crops, and that is resulting in bigger yields in corn and soybean fields. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), says the survey of more than 1,200 farmers revealed that cover crops boosted 2014 … Read More
Setting Record Straight on Anti-GMO Distortions
The House Agriculture Committee is trying to set the record straight after some deliberate distortions by anti-GMO activists. According to the Coalition For Safe Affordable Food, the committee issued guidance on the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act that definitively declares that this bipartisan legislation creates a uniform, science-based labeling standard for foods produced using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) without … Read More