In West Africa the most important question is ‘Will the rains be good or bad?’ Eric Wood, a professor at Princeton University, has worked with small farms in Africa and Latin America to create a drought and flood risk monitoring system, letting growers know when rains will come and how plentiful they will be. Weather data in those areas can be … Read More
US Grains Council Welcomes Communications Manager
Julia Debes has joined the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) as their Communications Manager. She has served as communications director for the National Sorghum Producers, assistant director of communications at U.S. Wheat Associates, and in her own communications company. “Having known Julia professionally for several years, I am confident she will be an immediate asset to the Council and a friendly … Read More
Round Two for @CIRBdc Emerging Leaders
This is the second year of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) Emerging Leaders Program and it was so popular last year that this year’s class is almost double in size. Jim Konstanty, PartnerRe, was a member of the first ELP class and we followed up with him this year to see how the program helped him. “It’s really … Read More
Political Forecast from #CIRB2017
Last year at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) annual meeting, there were still lots of candidates for president and Informa Economics Senior VP Jim Wiesemeyer talked about what they might mean to the future of agriculture. This year, he only had to focus on the one who actually made it to the White House. “It’s a great time … Read More
Championship Tractor Pull Revving Up
More than 70,000 fans agree, there’s nothing like the annual Championship Tractor Pull at the National Farm Machinery Show. Coming next week, February 15-18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the event will showcase the nation’s top drivers competing for more than $200,000 in prizes. The competitor to beat– last year’s Grand Champion Mendi Nelson. She’s the second woman to ever … Read More
Case IH Steiger 620 Sets New Records
The Case IH Steiger 620 has been proven the most fluid-efficient and highest drawbar horsepower tractor in the world by recent tests at the University of Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory (NTTL). The 620 set new records in drawbar fuel efficiency, drawbar horsepower and maximum pull. “It’s one thing to generate a lot of horsepower,” said Mitch Kaiser, Case IH Steiger tractor … Read More
TechAccel and Iowa Corn Opportunities Invest in Agrivida
Agrividia is a St. Louis-based company that has patented technology that uses the protein expression in grain to simplify the process of enzyme production for use as a feed additive. Now the company announces they have received financial support from TechAccel and Iowa Corn Opportunities to develop the enzyme. “We see Agrivida and its technology as a great new platform … Read More
John Deere Showcases Equipment #CattleCon17
The John Deere booth at the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show is the place to be if you’re a producer, says Dave Yuska, Senior Product Manager. “It looks like we’ve got pretty much everything a livestock producer would be looking for in their product portfolio. We’ve got the tractors, the 569 baler, which is our best selling … Read More
Challenges and Opportunities for #CIRB2017
The 53rd annual meeting of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau is officially underway with the theme of Change-Challenge-Opportunity and record attendance, according to Executive Vice President Michael Torrey. “I think it reflects the theme,” said Torrey. “Obviously a transition is going on, there’s going to be a lot of new people, and we’re going to have a lot of … Read More
Soil Health Partnership Adds New Leadership
Jack Cornell, a plant scientist recently from Monsanto, will be moving into a new position at the Soil Health Partnership. Cornell’s new role in the organization is to lead the ambitious on-farm data collection efforts as operations manager. He and his team will manage the collected data, provide strategic direction for SHP and act as a conduit of information to … Read More