Medicinal Marijuana Next Major Cash Crop?

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “When do you think medicinal marijuana will become a major cash crop?”

It looks like many believe we are very close to recognizing medicinal marijuana as a major cash crop here in the United States. Five to ten years really isn’t that far away. Many are already researching and learning the in’s and out’s of growing marijuana. Will you be the next farmer of this potential cash crop?

Here are the poll results:

  • In the next 1-2 years – 16%
  • In the next 5+ years – 42%
  • Not anytime soon – 27%
  • Never – 15%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What is your favorite type of cheese?

I just wrapped up my first trip to World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The event was full of cheese experiences so I thought I would ask you what your go to cheese was when sampling wine, cooking or simply having a snack. Personally, I haven’t found a cheese yet I didn’t like. Thanks again to New Holland Agriculture for making our coverage of the 2014 World Dairy Expo possible.

How Verdesian has Filled an ‘NP & K’ Void

Joanna SchroederAgribusiness, Audio, Fertilizer

Verdesian Life Sciences is a plant health plant nutrition company. According to CEO and founder JJ Grow, from the start their plan was to create a portfolio of companies that had really good technology focused on nitrogen and phosphorous efficiencies as well as delivery systems, elicitors and innocolents. Or “things that help fixate nitrogen”.

Beginning in 2011 when Grow was in the process of founding the company, his team looked at companies that already had technologies in the marketplace as well as companies that had technologies in development. He said there were 90 plus companies they looked at and last week the company purchased its sixth company: QC Corporation.

JJ Grow Verdesian-2“With a deep and global understanding of the agriculture industry, I realized I wanted to focus on taking tomorrow’s science and deliver today’s returns,” explained Grow. Thus the formation of Verdesian Life Sciences in September 2012 and the company’s philosophy. In this short time, Verdesian has become a leader in nitrogen and phosphorous technologies and products with one of their break-out technologies, Take Off, well, taking off.

Grow said they are in a position to hold a leadership position in the ag industry. “The biggest thing we look at is technology. I’ve worked at a lot of different companies who had really good technology and the one thing I’ve learned is if you have a technology that can be used in the marketplace and brings value to a farmer whether that’s in yield or efficiencies, you’re going to be successful with those technologies.”

Grow said if you look at the company’s technologies focused on macronutrients and micronutrients there is an unmet need in the marketplace and a lot of big companies have not focused here. The big companies have focused more on traditional pesticides and the herbicide companies have focused on the NP and K. “I think we’re in a unique position. By acquiring the leaders of those smaller companies we’ve put together a much larger company that can compete in the marketplace.”

Verdesian will be making some big technology announcements this fall so keep your eyes and ears on alert.

To learn more about Verdesian, their latest acquisition of QC Corporation and what’s next for the company, listen to my interview with JJ Grow: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/Verdesian/Verdesian-grow-14.mp3″ text=”Interview with JJ Grow, Verdesian”]

View the 2014 Verdesian Los Alamos Media Tour photo album.

Hick Chick Chat: New Pavilions at WDE 2014

Leah GuffeyAudio, Dairy, Hick Chick Chat

11326519286_c9a07ae0bf_o This edition of the Hick Chick Chat heads to the 2014 World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin. It’s the premiere event for the dairy industry. This year, exhibitors at the 2014 World Dairy Expo are the first to break in the New Holland Pavilions. My colleague, Jamie Johnansen was in Wisconsin this past week for the 2014 event.

wde-nh-14-83-editedA unique addition to the New Holland Pavilions is the touches of the past that have been archived in the new buildings. The entry way of Pavilion 1 has wood and bricks from the old barns capturing the history of this historic event. The 290,000 square foot pavilions replaced aging barns and will be home to a variety of dairy and livestock animals at future shows and expositions held at the Alliant Energy Center grounds. The pavilions have indoor show rings, riding areas and can comfortably house more than 2,000 head of livestock. They also have indoor and outdoor wash racks, covered manure storage and ample water and electrical capabilities.

You can listen to my chat here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/podcast/hickchickchat-14-newholland-wde.mp3″ text=”Hick Chick Chat World Dairy Expo New Holland Pavilion”]

Join in the conversation on Twitter and on Facebook

TekWear and Georgia Pecans

Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness, Glass, Scouting, USDA

TekWearCongratulations to Bruce Rasa, TekWear, LLC, for obtaining a USDA grant in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia to evaluate the effectiveness of wireless, web-connected technologies for monitoring and growing specialty crops such as pecans. In the photo Dr. Lenny Wells, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, uses Google Glass as one of the new wireless, web-connected technologies to monitor and record the health of pecans in the field.

Team leaders for the one-year collaborative research project include Peter Presti with the Interactive Media Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Lenny Wells, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia; and Bruce Rasa, CEO and founder of TekWear, LLC. The USDA announced the awarding of the research grant today at an event in Atlanta.

“Our goal is to see how producers can most effectively utilize hands-free wearable devices such as Google Glass, as well as smartphones, unmanned aerial systems (drones) and other Internet-enabled technologies to monitor for pests, scout their fields and better manage their crops,” Rasa explains. “Because pecans are an economically important crop in Georgia and other areas of the U.S., it makes sense to evaluate the use of these technologies on pecans, then see how we can apply them to other high-value and field crops in the future.”
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Study Finds No Problems With GMO Feed

Cindy ZimmermanAnimal Science, biotechnology, USFRA, World Food

A new scientific review from the University of California-Davis has found no adverse impact on the performance and health of livestock and poultry consuming genetically engineered feed in the time since it was first introduced 18 years ago.

eenennaamThe review, led by UC Davis animal scientist Alison Van Eenennaam, examined nearly 30 years of livestock-feeding studies that represent more than 100 billion animals. The review study also found that scientific studies have detected no differences in the nutritional makeup of the meat, milk or other food products derived from animals that ate genetically engineered feed.

“Studies have continually shown that the milk, meat and eggs derived from animals that have consumed GE feed are indistinguishable from the products derived from animals fed a non-GE diet,” Van Eenennaam said. “Therefore, proposed labeling of animal products from livestock and poultry that have eaten GE feed would require supply-chain segregation and traceability, as the products themselves would not differ in any way that could be detected.”

Now that a second generation of genetically engineered crops that have been optimized for livestock feed is on the horizon, there is a pressing need to internationally harmonize the regulatory framework for these products, she said.

“To avoid international trade disruptions, it is critical that the regulatory approval process for genetically engineered products be established in countries importing these feeds at the same time that regulatory approvals are passed in the countries that are major exporters of animal feed,” Van Eenennaam said.

Van Eenennaam has been named by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) as the 2014 Borlaug CAST Communication Award winner. The award recognizes individuals who are actively excelling in communication of agricultural science and technology. She will receive the award on the occasion of the 2014 Borlaug Dialogue hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation and will speak on “The Livestock Revolution” and then will participate in a Food Dialogues hosted by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance. It will take place October 15 in Des Moines.

NACD Meets With EPA on WOTUS

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Conservation, Government, water

nacd-logoRepresentatives of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials last week to express concerns on behalf of member conservation districts regarding the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule.

“We thought is was a very good meeting and we appreciated the opportunity to express some concerns,” said NACD President Earl Garber, a licensed crop consultant and rice, soybean, and hay producer from Louisiana.

nacd-garberThe main concerns addressed by NACD were the need for EPA to take more time to finalize the rule and the need for more clarity in definitions under the rule. “We referred to it as fear because, as a crop consultant, I face that daily with my producers. When they hear this type of information, there’s actually a fear on their part “will this possibly put this out of business as a producer?”

Garber says they met with the EPA representatives for nearly four hours. “They said that they will absolutely take our comments into consideration,” he said. “There was no promise they would necessary use what we recommended but all we can ask is that they would consider (them).”

Garber says they were disappointed that representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were unable to attend the meeting, but he hopes that another meeting will be set up in the future. “We see the Corps of Engineers as a very important part of this because they’re involved in the implementation,” he said. “We think it’s important that they hear how we would anticipate this being implemented based on what we’re reading and we are interested in hearing how they would implement it.”

NACD also plans to submit formal comments on the proposed rule by the deadline of October 20.

Listen to my interview with Garber here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/government/nacd-earl.mp3″ text=”Interview with Earl Garber, NACD president”]

Global Water For Food Conference

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Conservation, Food, water, Water Management

Water for food logoMobilizing new data gathering capabilities to improve global water and food security is the subject of the sixth annual Water for Food Global Conference, hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Oct. 19-22 in Seattle, Wash.

This year’s conference theme, “Harnessing the Data Revolution: Ensuring Water and Food Security from Field to Global Scales,” will provide a forum for global experts and policy leaders to discuss ways to effectively manage and use data-gathering technology to conserve water and improve crop yields for farming systems, large and small, around the world.

“I think everyone’s aware that with impending climate variability and growth of the population, we’re going to need to manage water resources better than we’re doing now,” said Dr. Christopher Neale, Director of Research for the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute. “Using spatial technologies – like satellite imagery, sensors, variable rate irrigation systems, high tech drip irrigation systems, center pivot irrigation systems – are ways of being more efficient in applying the water.”
[wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/precision/wffc-neale.mp3″ text=”Interview with Christopher Neale, Water for Food Institute”]

Presentations and panel discussions will cover a range of topics, including the data needs of smallholder farmers, using climate data to improve decision-making, water’s effect on public health, and the policy and economic implications of water metering.

More information about the conference, including how to register, can be found here.

See Everglades Ag Conservation in Action

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Conservation, CTIC

ctic-fl-tourIf you have ever wanted to see the Florida Everglades up close and personal – here is your chance.

The Conservation Technology and Information Center’s 2014 Conservation in Action Tour is exploring the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) October 14-15 to hear the tale of farmers working with the entire ecosystem in mind.

CTIC executive director Karen Scanlon says the tour will showcase innovative ideas and emerging technologies in conservation by farmers who grow very different crops than in the Midwest. “We’re going to be visiting vegetable farms and sugarcane, as well as rice growing regions,” said Scanlon. “It’s a very important region for agriculture and the conservation practices they’re working on.”

Scanlon says the region had a regulatory goal of reducing phosphorus by 25%. “And in the years farmers have been working on this best management practice program, they’ve achieved an average of 54% reduction, so they’re far surpassing the goal that was set for them,” she said.

Listen to more of what the tour has to offer in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/ctic/ctic-everglades.mp3″ text=”Interview with Karen Scanlon, CTIC”]

Farmers, agricultural retailers, members of agricultural and conservation organizations, government agency representatives, legislators, researchers, members of the media and anyone who wants to learn more about conservation in the Everglades is welcome to attend. Registration information is available here.

Holland Loves New Holland

Cindy ZimmermanUncategorized

BoerderijThe T6 AutoCommand™ tractor, from CNH Industrial brand New Holland Agriculture, has won the ‘Boerentrekker of the Year Award 2014’ in the Netherlands by leading Dutch farming magazine Boerderij.

cnh-t6-autoThe title recognizes the ‘Best Farmer’s Tractor’ for the year in Holland and was conferred at the Agrotechniek 2014 trade fair by the magazine. First published in 1915, this weekly independent farming magazine counts a readership of over one million.

New Holland’s T6 range is considered to be the tractor of choice for future-focused farmers who have mixed arable and livestock farms, as well as for contractors and specialist agribusinesses.

The jury ruled the T6 AutoCommand™ as winner based on a number of factors regarding its design, technology, comfort and quality. The tractor’s ergonomics, intuitive operation and high level of comfort are thanks to the multi award-winning SideWinder™ II armrest, that hosts the most frequently used controls, and the Horizon™ Cab, that offers high levels of operator comfort and outstanding visibility in all applications. This model also features the ECOBlue™ SCR technology for Tier 4A compliance to improve productivity and profitability. The optional SuperSteer™ front axle delivers outstanding manoeuvrability, while the optional Terraglide™ front axle (with fully integrated front suspension) makes for smooth driving both in the field and on the road.

Verdesian Life Sciences Acquires QC Corporation

Cindy ZimmermanFertilizer, micronutrients, Nutrient Management

verdesianVerdesian Life Sciences has announced the acquisition of QC Corporation, a leading producer and supplier of granular and dry micronutrients and ferrous sulfate products.

“We are excited to welcome QC and its micronutrient platform, including its unique Nutripaction compaction granulation technology, to Verdesian,” said J.J. Grow, chief executive officer of Verdesian. “The Gordon family and the rest of QC’s employees share our commitment to researching and developing innovative and proven yield enhancing plant-health products.”

The Gordon family will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of QC and manage QC customer relationships with Jason Gordon serving as president of QC, a Verdesian Life Sciences Company.

qc-corp“QC’s leading micronutrient business and manufacturing capabilities are highly complementary to Verdesian’s plant health and nutrition offerings,” said Gordon. “This combination enables us to leverage Verdesian’s resources and growth platform to capitalize on new opportunities while continuing to provide QC’s customers with the innovation and service that has been the cornerstone of QC’s success over the last 40 years.”

“QC is an established market leader in the fast-growing micronutrients category. We expect that the combination will bring QC’s expertise increasingly into Verdesian’s core agricultural markets, while QC’s lawn and garden, and turf and ornamental customers will see new applications for Verdesian’s proprietary products,” added Grow.