The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) welcomed members and guests to Kansas City for the 2024 Annual Conference, The Next Generation of Animal Agriculture. More than 120 guests joined the conference to connect with fellow animal agriculture leaders to explore and discuss gaps in animal agriculture technology and innovation and solutions to encourage continuous improvement in today’s food system. Additionally, industry leaders were honored and new directors were elected. The Meat Institute recognized more than 200 meat and poultry plants at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Saf ..read more

ZimmComm is celebrating 20 years of serving the agricultural business, marketing, and media industries in 2024. The company was founded in 2004 by former farm broadcasters Chuck and Cindy Zimmerman with the idea of helping agribusinesses and organizations reach media outlets with their message in a new way. “What is now social media was called ‘new media’ at the time,” said Chuck Zimmerman. “The idea of using the internet for communications was just starting with blogs and podcasts.” First, ZimmComm created AgWired as an on-line publication for news and information from the world of agribusine ..read more

The Environmental Protection Agency Friday issued a waiver to allow E15 (15 percent ethanol fuel) to continue to be sold this summer. The temporary waiver under the Clean Air Act was issued “to address extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances caused by a confluence of events, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, that are affecting all regions of the Nation.” Ethanol organizations and stakeholders welcomed the action, which the Renewable Fuels Association says will help American consumers save money at the pump this summer, while also cutting greenhouse gas ..read more

TIME named Land O’Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford to the 2024 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Land O’Lakes operates in all 50 states and more than 60 countries and Ford has served as President and CEO since 2018. Ford, who has held senior positions in seven companies in six industries, leads not only by delivering financial performance, but also by addressing the important global issues and structural changes that can improve areas directly impacted by food and agriculture. During her tenure, Land O’Lakes has focused on its members, the technology th ..read more

Nestlé Purina is investing in farmer adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the company’s corn and soy supply chains through a new partnership with Cargill, one of the largest ingredient and agricultural solutions companies in the U.S. This work will support soil health and reduce the carbon footprint for Purina dry pet food products across North America, contributing to a more sustainable future for people and their pets. Get ready for an extraordinary journey through Arkansas’s vibrant agricultural landscape at the 17th Annual Conservation in Action Tour, taking place on Jun ..read more

Florida-based specialty products company Custom Agronomics has acquired North Carolina-based BioTek Ag to expand its focus on nutrient use efficiency products. Custom Agronomics is a formulator and manufacturer of private-label liquid plant nutrition, nutrient use efficiency, and other specialty products for the agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets. BioTek Ag has more than three decades of experience helping farmers improve and protect crop yields with specialized nutrients, nitrogen stabilizers, and other specialty products that improve soil biology and enhance the effectiveness of crop ..read more

With corn planting underway now across the Midwest, there are likely quite a few Golden Harvest hybrids going in the ground after a successful 2023. “Golden Harvest has made a lot of innovation over the past 50 years,” said Rex Gray, Golden Harvest Corn Product Manager, at the recent Commodity Classic. “Over the past two years we’ve brought 39 new products to the market.” Gray said they are excited to launch Enogen DuracadeViptera this year. “That’s something farmers have told us they wanted and needed for a some time,” he said. Learn more in this interview about the 50 year legacy of Golden H ..read more

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was found in a South Dakota dairy herd last week, becoming the eighth state with HPAI-infected dairy cows. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s HPAI website now shows a total of 26 detections, in Texas (11), New Mexico (6), Kansas (3), Michigan (2), Idaho (1), Ohio (1), North Carolina (1), and South Dakota (1). The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) expressed disappointment in the final rule released to update the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Child ..read more

The Food and Agriculture – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC) announced the launch of a new University Partnership Program to drive improved collaboration between the industry and leading universities on a range of security issues impacting America’s food and agriculture sector. The partnership program has launched with four founding collaborators: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, the University of Nebraska, Purdue University and PARI, and Virginia Tech. The Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) just concluded its second annual conference, PBPC2024: Circ ..read more

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. It’s almost time for the 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference that is put on by the National Agri-Marketing Association. ZimmComm will be there to celebrate our 20th anniversary in our Connection Point booth. We’ve got more to come on this when we get to the conference later this month. In this episode I’m talking with Lori Kruger, Signal Theory, and Chair for the Agri-Marketing Conference committee. We’ll do a preview of what you’ll find. In case you haven’t registered it’s easy to go to the NAMA website and get it done. Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 729 - P ..read more