ZimmCast 760 – Award to Harry Siemens

Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.

In this episode I have a very special guest. I haven’t talked to him recently but we did quite a bit in the early days of AgWired. He’s Harry Siemens and some of you may have heard or read his Siemens Says. He just received a very well deserved award and we’ll talk about that too.

So, let’s get started.

Listen to the episode here:
ZimmCast 760 - Award to Harry Siemens (15:44)

Harry Siemens AwardHere is some information about the award Harry received.

The award was initiated by U.S. farm broadcasters Lynn Ketelsen of the Linder Farm Network, the late Orion Samuelson, and Max Armstrong, longtime voices in agricultural broadcasting and fellow members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB). Together, they sought to recognize Siemens’ lifetime of contributions to agricultural journalism and his efforts to strengthen relationships between Canadian and American farmers.

Throughout his career, Siemens has covered crop production, livestock, trade, transportation, weather, farm policy and rural life, earning the respect of farmers, agricultural leaders and fellow broadcasters across North America.

That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Audio, NAFB, ZimmCast

Japanese Soy Milk Exchange Launches

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Officially launching today, the Japanese Soy Milk Exchange (JSME), is a new initiative that brings together soybean innovators, culinary experts, nutrition professionals and food industry executives to introduce Japanese soy milk in the United States and establish it as a distinct premium category.

Soy is at the heart of Japan’s food culture, and Japanese soy milk is rooted in centuries of craftsmanship. It’s made with soybeans grown in North America, using specialized Japanese technology and processing methods that ensure a silky texture, mild scent and subtly nutty flavor. Nutritionally, Japanese soy milk is comparable to dairy milk, packing in 9-10 grams of complete plant protein per serving with about half the carbohydrates.

“Japanese soy milk is defined by its heritage and quality, delivering a combination of nutrition, mellow flavor and smooth finish that sets it apart from conventional soy milks,” said Ko Fuwa, General Manager, Foreign Beverage Operations at Kikkoman, an international leader in Japanese soy milk and supporter of JSME. “This distinguished group of leaders is ideally positioned to introduce this new category of soy milk in the U.S. We’re excited to support their mission to educate consumers on Japanese soy milk’s many benefits and differentiators.”

The JSME brings together a multidisciplinary group of founding members, including a chef and culinary expert, registered dietitian, soybean farmer, professor specializing in Japanese food history and culture and a Japanese soy milk industry leader. Together, these experts will guide education efforts, address common misconceptions about soy and promote innovative uses across retail and foodservice channels.

The JSME will roll out programming throughout 2026, including media engagement, trade outreach, culinary demonstrations and digital resources to grow awareness for Japanese soy milk as a new category of soy milk and its many culinary uses and nutritional benefits. More information is available at japanesesoymilk.com.

Food, Soybean

Precision Ag News 6/9

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • Switch Bioworks, a biotechnology company focused on sustainable fertilizer, announced the launch of field trials of its novel microbial fertilizer, with authorization from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Microbial fertilizers use living microbes to pull nitrogen from the air and deliver it to crops, offering farmers an alternative to traditional chemical fertilizers made from natural gas. Switch’s technology is a new-in-class solution that centers on a genetically encoded switch that solves a fundamental energy problem that has long limited the performance of microbial fertilizers.
  • BarnTools announced the launch of Barn360, a biosecurity platform that expands the BarnTools connected farm system into real-time biosecurity enforcement for swine and poultry operations. The launch marks a significant expansion of BarnTools’ role in livestock production. Already trusted for real-time monitoring across critical farm systems, including feed, water, power, temperature, and environmental conditions, BarnTools now brings biosecurity into the same connected operational view.
  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) announced that registration is officially open for the 2026 ARA Conference & Expo, taking place December 1–3 at the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, Texas. Early Bird pricing is available through October 16, 2026.
  • A new 2026 AgbioInvestor study on behalf of CropLife International shines a spotlight on the complex journey of bringing new crop protection products to market. Drawing on the most recent data from leading industry players, the report highlights the significant time, investment, and scientific effort required to develop modern agricultural solutions.
  • Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers. Enrollment is open May 1 through Aug. 31.
  • Yamaha Agriculture announced a new herbicide attachment, developed and manufactured by Yamaha Agriculture partner, Croplands Equipment for Prospr, introducing weed-control capability to the high-performance autonomous hybrid vehicle platform for orchards and vineyards. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Prospr, the new attachment extends automation across a wider range of orchard and vineyard tasks and will be showcased at Hort Connections 2026 in South Australia.
  • Sixty-five state and national groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calling on him to end countervailing duties placed on phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco to ease the pain felt by farmers as fertilizers prices reach new highs.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    The Passing of Jim Stewart

    Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    Jim Stewart Farm BroadcasterFrom the KFYO website: The legendary Jim Stewart, former KFYO Ag Director and beloved voice in Texas radio, passed away yesterday, June 4, 2026.

    His family says that he was surrounded by loved ones and passed peacefully at home.

    Stewart was a voice for West Texas agriculture and joined KFYO as Farm Director in 1981. This began a remarkable run of more than 20 years at KFYO.

    He hosted his final KFYO show on February 21, 2003, and returned to Lubbock radio in 2005, serving as Ag Director for AM 580 KRFE for several years.

    You can find the obituary here.

    Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5740 West 19th Street, Lubbock, TX 79407, US, on June 9, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

    A Funeral Service will be held at Lone Star Cowboy Church, 1309 E FM 1585, Lubbock, TX 79423, US, on June 10, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

    Media, NAFB

    ZimmCast 759 – AgGateway Mid-Year and AI

    Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.

    In this episode I’m sharing my preview interview for the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting with President/CEO, Brent Kemp. Additionally I’ve got a few comments regarding AI, or Artificial Intelligence, for those of you who haven’t heard of it. But really, AI, is moving fast and besides it is a topic for the AgGateway meeting.

    I’m slow in producing a ZimmCast episode for several reasons. One is that I haven’t been traveling for work. But additionally, I’ve done a little research about how AI has affected things like agricultural marketing and communications.

    Additionally, I did a post on AgWired titled “Safeguard the Human Person in Time of AI.” I hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment. I focused on the encyclical letter published by Pope Leo. It’s not just about AI but really is about people.

    So, let’s get started with my interview with Brent.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 759 - AgGateway Mid-Year Mtg and AI (14:15)

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    AgGateway, AI, Audio, ZimmCast

    USDA Ramps Up New World Screwworm Fight

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    USDA confirmed the detection yesterday of a New World screwworm in a three-week old beef calf in Zavala County, Texas, about 60 miles from the Mexico border, and today officials laid out plans to keep it from spreading.

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins updated the House Agriculture Committee Thursday morning. “It is a vexing challenge that we thought we had beaten in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, that was wrong as the screwworm began to make its way back towards us in 2021. The way we defeated it before, you need about 400 million sterile flies per week to actually mate with the bad flies, sterilize them….Because over years, we had taken, we as a country, we as a hemisphere, had taken our eye off the ball thinking it was eradicated. We got down to only 100 million sterile flies in production a week in a facility in Panama.”

    Rollins says the administration has fast-tracked a facility being built right now in Mission, Texas. “That facility will come online next year. When it does, it’ll produce about 300 million flies per week in addition to the 100 million from Panama. And then we outfitted an additional Mexican facility in Matapa for another 100 million,” said Rollins.

    Sec. Rollins at House Ag hearing 3:07

    In the meantime, Rollins says they will be focused on trapping, surveillance, and treatment. She participated in a press call with USDA and state officials on immediate actions being taken.

    “We have a unified incident command team with the Texas Animal Health Commission and have deployed APHIS as of yesterday immediately down to the area. We’ve established a 20 kilometer control area, a zone around the detection and implement quarantines, movement controls and surveillance in this area. We’ve expedited the targeted release of millions of sterile new world screw worm flies by immediately deploying 4 million as of yesterday, ground release chambers in the area in addition to the 4 million sterile flies per week already being released aerially in the area,” said Rollins.

    She was joined Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; and APHIS Associate Administrator/NWS Directorate Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer; as well as Dr. Bud Dinges, Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director. Listen to their comments below.

    USDA NWS press update 21:49

    Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Audio, USDA

    BarnTools Launches Barn360 Biosecurity

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    BarnTools today announced the launch of Barn360, a biosecurity platform that expands the BarnTools connected farm system into real-time biosecurity enforcement for swine and poultry operations.

    The launch marks a significant expansion of BarnTools’ role in livestock production. Already trusted for real-time monitoring across critical farm systems, including feed, water, power, temperature, and environmental conditions, BarnTools now brings biosecurity into the same connected operational view.

    With Barn360, producers can manage important biosecurity information in the same BarnTalk app they already use to monitor environmental conditions, bringing more of the farm into one connected system.

    Unlike standalone biosecurity tools, Barn360 is built as part of the BarnTools platform. By connecting biosecurity with real-time monitoring across feed, water, power, and environmental systems, BarnTools gives producers a more complete view of farm operations in one place. This integrated approach helps livestock teams manage risk, respond faster, and improve accountability without adding another disconnected system to their workflow. Barn360 is included as part of BarnTools’ enterprise platform, giving producers access to biosecurity capabilities without additional per-animal or per-site costs.

    Barn360 will be showcased at World Pork Expo this week in Des Moines, Booth V310. Visit https://barntools.com/barn360 to learn more.

    AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Animal Agriculture, Apps, Technology

    Animal Ag News 6/3

    Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) opened the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, a state-of-the-art laboratory facility today that will provide the U.S. cattle industry with innovative tools and advanced technologies to manage and eliminate the invasive fly and tick pests that threaten the U.S. cattle industry.
  • Nofence announces a new partnership with Farm Journal’s Trust in Food™ initiative. The partnership allows Nofence to grow connections with U.S. livestock producers seeking tools and technical expertise to improve profitability.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative is investing in the future of the next generation through its annual scholarship program. The cooperative has awarded five young adults with $2,000 scholarships to pursue higher education; two students are currently enrolled in college or a university, and three are graduating high school seniors.
  • From shifting cattle markets to evolving consumer demand, today’s cattle industry requires producers to make sharper, more strategic decisions than ever before. Set for August 4 and 5, 2026, in Amarillo, Texas, the 2026 Feeding Quality Forum brings cattlemen together to explore practical solutions, timely market insights and real-world strategies designed to support their bottom line. Join two days of engaging sessions, industry-leading speakers, and valuable networking opportunities to help producers navigate their business with confidence.
  • Following the success of a record-breaking show footprint and focused, high-intent audience, the Midwest Poultry Federation announced a nine-year commitment to keep PEAK 2026, the nation’s largest poultry convention in Minneapolis, highlighting the conference’s role as a central hub for peak poultry industry connection, education and forward-thinking conversations.
  • Scoops, smiles, and bipartisan camaraderie will return to Capitol Hill this summer as the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) hosts its 42nd Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party on June 10. One of Washington’s longest-running summer traditions, the Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party draws thousands of attendees each year, including members of Congress and leaders from across the executive branch. The event celebrates America’s favorite frozen dessert while offering a rare, lighthearted opportunity for lawmakers, staff, and policy leaders to connect outside the halls of government.
  • Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and Discover Dairy invite participants across the state to meet their new favorite classroom or community companion, as enrollment is now open for the free “Adopt a Cow” program for the 2026–27 school year. The program pairs participants with calves from four Wisconsin dairy farms: OrthRidge Farms in Lancaster, Wis.; Nellie Farms in Eau Claire, Wis.; Schleis Farms in Kewaunee, Wis.; and McFarlandale Dairy in Watertown, Wis. To enroll, visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) named Mike Osborne, key account advisor at Alltech, as its Member of the Year during the AFIA Board of Directors meeting on May 13. The Member of the Year award honors an AFIA member who exhibits outstanding support in achieving the association’s goals and objectives throughout the year.
  • The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Environmental Stewardship Program released revisions to its Version 3 evaluation tool, integrating the latest scientific updates from the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model that powers FARM ES Version 3.
  • USPOULTRY will host its 2026 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic from July 8-9 in Nashville, Tenn. The annual clinic will bring together hatchery and breeder managers and other industry professionals to discuss the latest strategies, technologies and operational practices impacting breeder and hatchery performance.
  • With consumers increasingly seeking protein-rich foods to support active lifestyles, the dairy checkoff is leveraging National Cheese Day on June 4 to position cheese as a convenient, high-quality protein option through its Dairy Does More platform. The National Cheese Day activation, launched by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), introduces “Body by Cheese,” a lighthearted campaign designed to connect cheese with fitness, wellness and snacking occasions. At the center of the effort is the Parm Bar, a 2-ounce block of domestically produced parmesan packaged in a protein-bar-inspired wrapper that highlights cheese’s protein benefits in a modern way. The activation represents an extension of Dairy Does More, which DMI created to help consumers think differently about dairy foods and recognize benefits beyond taste.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    USDA Launches Great American Cotton Plan

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    USDA unveiled the Great American Cotton Plan Thursday, an initiative to “strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton.”

    The announcement comes as cotton producers face a fifth consecutive year of negative returns driven by rising input costs, trade distortions, and increasing competition from synthetic materials. As part of the plan, USDA will elevate the “Plant Not Plastic” initiative to encourage consumers to purchase products made with healthy natural American cotton fibers rather than synthetic plastic-based alternatives.

    USDA forecasters estimate that producers could lose approximately $2.6 billion across 9 million planted acres during the upcoming crop year. Since 1980, the number of U.S. cotton gins has declined from 2,254 to 446, while domestic textile production facilities have sharply contracted over the last two decades.

    The National Cotton Council (NCC) commended USDA for initiating the Great American Cotton Plan and welcomes the support of America’s cotton farmers, strongly supporting the bipartisan Buying American Cotton Act (BACA) which would help increase domestic demand and production of U.S. cotton, encourage investment in U.S. textile mills, and create jobs here at home.

    “Measures like BACA, along with the USDA’s Great American Cotton Plan and other recently implemented cotton initiatives, demonstrate key progress for America’s cotton industry,” said NCC Chairman Nathan Reed. “At a time when cotton producers are facing pressure from high input costs and market uncertainty, these steps are critical to the long-term success of our industry.”

    Listen to Secretary Rollins’ announcement here:
    Sec. Rollins announces cotton plan 3:42

    Audio, Cotton, USDA

    Alltech ONE 2027 Getting Closer

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Alltech ONE 2027It’s just a year now for the Alltech ONE Conference 2027.

    ONE is coming home.

    The Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) returns to its hometown — Lexington, Kentucky — for an immersive exploration of the bold ideas shaping the future of agri-food.

    Set for May 24-26, 2027 at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, ONE 2027 will feature:

    Inspiring keynote speakers
    Dynamic tracks and workshops
    Leading-edge insights from global leaders across agriculture, business, technology and sustainability
    With the theme “Together, bright becomes brilliant,” this world-class event will spotlight the power of connection, collaboration and bold thinking to address agriculture’s most significant challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities.

    Together, we will explore what’s next for our industry — and for our planet.

    Whether you are returning to ONE or joining us for the first time, this world-class event promises to inspire, challenge and connect.

    Don’t miss a moment. Sign up now for exclusive updates, speaker announcements, registration info and more.

    Agribusiness, Alltech, Animal Health