Last month at the 2014 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa I attended the ADM press conference regarding their involvement with Unilever’s movement to become more sustainable by the year 2020. The common theme was working together to showcase and highlight agriculture and tell the story of the farmer who works the ground to make the best product. ADM sources … Read More
Global Water Event to Unveil Global Yield Gap Report
On October, 20, 2014 at 7:30 am PT, a new crop analysis will be unveiled. The results of the six-year collaborative research project, “The Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas,” will be shared. The Atlas is designed to help farmers policy makers, foundations and private sector organizations identify regions with the greatest potential to sustainably produce more food with … Read More
NIMITZ Nematicide Approved by EPA
ADAMA, a world leader in customer-focused agricultural solutions, announced that NIMITZ, a novel, non-fumigant nematicide with simplified application features and unmatched user safety, has received federal registration from the EPA. The active ingredient in NIMITZ has a unique mode of action which categorizes the product within a new chemical classification. The U.S.A. is the first country to receive a federal … Read More
Bayer CropScience Defends Neonicotinoid Pesticides
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) this week petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics), claiming that they “pose a serious risk to honeybees, wild bees, and other pollinators.” The petition asks EPA to launch an immediate one-year review of neonics’ impact on bees, to determine if the pesticides’ use should be prohibited on bee-pollinated crops and … Read More
EPA Chief Heading to Missouri
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will travel to Missouri this week to defend and explain the Administration’s proposed rules defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA). On Wednesday, McCarthy will visit Missouri corn and soybean farmer Bill Heffernan to view soil conservation practices used to protect local waterways. On Thursday, she will deliver … Read More
Replant Flooded Land to Prevent Erosion
Don’t wait to develop a restoration plan for land devastated by recent floods. Quick action can prevent erosion and maintain soil health, said Matt Fenske, vice president of Business Development for Millborn Seeds, a quarter century old grass seed company located in Brookings and North Sioux City, S.D. “I know it’s an overwhelming mess today, but if nothing is done … Read More
Economist Finds EPA Analysis of Water Rule Flawed
The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Water Act rule is rife with errors, lacks transparency and would greatly expand strict federal control over land that was previously not regulated by the federal government, according to a report by economist and University of California-Berkley faculty member Dr. David Sunding. Sunding’s report, Review of 2014 EPA Economic Analysis of Proposed Revised Definition … Read More
National APLU Report Outlines Research Challenges
The national Association of Public and Land-grant Universities released a report outlining six “grand challenges” facing the United States over the next decade in the areas of sustainability water, climate change, agriculture, energy and education. The APLU project was co-chaired by W. Daniel Edge, head of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University. The report is available … Read More
Hick Chick Chat with Bill and Tim Couser
During Commodity Classic in San Antonio last week, I ran into my new friends Bill and Tim Couser. I met them last October during World Food Prize and Truth about Trade and Technology (TATT) Farmer Roundtable when we toured their operation near Nevada, Iowa. Last week they were sitting on a panel discussing soil health, partnership with the National Corn … Read More
Deadline Extended for Conservation Stewardship
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended the deadline for new enrollments in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for fiscal year 2014. Producers interested in participating in the program can now submit applications to NRCS through Feb. 7, 2014. “Extending the enrollment deadline will make it possible for more farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to … Read More