Around Farm Progress

For decades farmers have looked to renewable fuels to boost demand for commodity crops. Ethanol has been a solid source of demand and biodiesel is gaining traction. Add in renewable diesel which has support from the petroleum industry and the future looks pretty good. But how good?

Recently CoBank issued a comprehensive look at the renewable fuel industry including ethanol demand and the changing nature of renewable diesel. We turned to Ken Zuckerberg, lead economist, CoBank, and author of the report to get more insight into what he found.

The rumble of combines across the field is a welcome site as farmers work to pick up their “paycheck” for the season. Part of that work is the creation of new data that farmers can use for decision making in the following year, and it’s getting easier to make that a reality.

Farm Progress caught up with Zach Worden, sales manager at Agrian by Telus Agriculture to discuss farm data use. Agrian is a dealer-focused data management platform that can bring in farmer data for trusted advisers to use for creating recommendations. But there’s a key to making it more efficient, and Worden discusses the one tool that can help farmers really maximize data.

Farm safety is no joke. Agriculture is considered one of the most dangerous professions with big equipment and intricate jobs combining to create trouble. And while accidents will happen there are some actions farmers can take to help reduce risk.

John Shutske, agricultural safety and health specialist at the University of Wisconsin, offers up his top five areas to focus on during the busiest times of the year. And while Farm Safety and Health Week is winding up, in fact, farm safety is a year-round issue. From lighting and the power of the slow-moving-vehicle sign to the importance of proper training, Shutske offers valuable tips.

Around the country these days farmers and dealers are testing out machines that take the operator out of the cab, or using machines with no cab at all. What might a future filled with such machines look like, and will it change the way you farm?

The Around Farm Progress podcast caught up with Paul Welbig, Raven Industries, to discuss what that company is learning about deployment of driverless technology in the field.

What sets a farm show apart from others? Out in Nebraska, organizers of this big event and put together something unique for visitors. Every year Husker Harvest Days brings together a diverse group of exhibitors who show their latest tools, tech, and innovations for visitors. In this episode of Around Farm Progress, Matt Jungmann, events director, Farm Progress, talks about what sets this show apart, making it unique among all farm shows in the country.

The rise of crop prices has been great news for farmers dealing with a slump since 2013, but that boost in per-bushel income has been matched by rising input prices including fertilizer. But what’s driving that runup in prices and will in continue into 2023?

Mike Rahm an independent consultant with more than 35 years in the fertilizer industry, shares his insights on just what factors are influencing prices – especially for nitrogen.

Staging a farm show is not something everyone thinks of doing but every year Rick Wild has big dates circled on his calendar as he joins the Farm Progress staff to make the Farm Progress Show happen. As operations manager, Wild is responsible for a range of details involved in moving in hundreds of exhibitors to get them ready for the big show.

It’s the first time the show has been in Boone since 2018, but Wild was on hand back then. He shares some of the key issues that happen when you have a four-year gap.

Rising pressures to perform, the rush to harvest or plant, the need to move grain from storage to market. All are factors that impact the health and safety of the agriculture community. All these issues, and more, drive the vision for the Health and Safety Tent at the 2022 Farm Progress Show.

But what will visitors find at this year’s show? Marsha Cheyney, outreach specialist, Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health at the University of Iowa, is coordinating the Health and Safety Tent for the show this year. She shares insight on what farm families will find when they stop by, and there’s plenty to see during a visit.

Flying the friendly skies remains – mostly – a popular past-time, but the airline industry is working hard to cut its carbon footprint. And while there’s growing interest in electric power for airplanes, that’s in the more distant future. For now, jet engines need to run on fuel but soon more of that fuel will come from alternative sources using crop feedstocks like corn or soybeans.

What could this market mean for farmers? And what are the challenges that make converting the airline industry to sustainable aviation fuels difficult? In this episode of Around Farm Progress, we turned to Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo, an energy company making a significant investment in sustainable aviation fuels. In addition, Gevo has already signed significant deals with major airlines to supply these fuels in the future.

Recently, the monarch was red listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, tagging the insect as endangered.

While that listing has no impact on local action regarding the butterfly, the move is a concern for the ag industry. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did consider adding the monarch to the Endangered Species List in 2020 but put off that decision at the time. The IUCN listing raises concern that the Service may reconsider the status of the monarch in the course of its future deliberations.