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Check out the NutriDense Rewards program

August 13th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Farmers are hard-working people, so it makes sense they should be rewarded. With that in mind, we created a new program called NutriDense Rewards.

Depending on the number of units of seeds containing NutriDense purchased, NutriDense will award farmers with a variety of prizes:

  • 60-119 units: A Premium Series cooker/smoker from Cabella’s and a $50 gift card.
  • 120-179 units: A new laptop.
  • 180-239 units: A complete PC home makeover, including laptop, netbook, desktop with 20” LCD monitor, and wireless router.
  • 240 or more units: A five-day, all-inclusive trip for two to the beaches of Costa Rica.

To qualify, place your NutriDense seed order with a NutriDense seed partner by Feb. 15, 2011. Want more details? Contact your seed rep, call 1-800-233-8942 or visit www.nutridense.com/rewards for all terms and conditions of this offer.

Podcast: Jerry Weigel talks feed efficiency and poultry, part two

July 29th, 2010 by Courtney Beck

Two weeks ago, I chatted with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service at BASF Plant Science, about feed efficiency as it relates to poultry. We’re back this week to learn how NutriDense can improve this important factor for poultry producers.

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Listen to all of our feed efficiency podcasts:

Report demonstrates value of farms on local economies

July 23rd, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Hoard’s Dairyman’s blog HD Notebook featured an interesting post last month on the impact farming has on local economies. It looked at the USDA’s recent Economic Research Service report, which was summarized in the June issue of the organization’s “Amber Waves” magazine.

The study found that half of all farm expenditures are spent locally. That goes to show in areas where agriculture is a top industry, the local economy greatly benefits from the many expenses that go into running a successful farming operation.

Throughout the Corn Belt, NutriDense works with grain mills to deliver contract premiums that allow growers to lock in more profit versus conventional yellow dent corn. We call these locations “Local-Use Networks” and work very closely with the feed mill managers at each one. In these locations, we see firsthand the impact grain producers have on the local economy and population.

It’s great to know that as agriculture feeds the world, it still has a positive impact on local economies.

Podcast: Jerry Weigel talks feed efficiency and poultry, part one

July 16th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Last month, I sat down with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, to talk about feed efficiency and dairy cows, and learn about how NutriDense can help producers improve their bottom lines when it comes to corn silage.

This month, we’re back with two more interviews with Jerry on what feed efficiency means for poultry producers. Listen in to part one below, and check back in two weeks to hear the second installment of our chat.

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NutriDense at Four-State Dairy Conference and World Pork Expo

June 9th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

The NutriDense technical services staff hit the road this week to attend two industry events starting up this morning in Iowa.

Find Dr. Janet Snow, field nutritionist, at the Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference in Dubuque. Stop by booth 29 to talk with her.

The annual World Pork Expo also runs today through Friday. Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical services, and Dr. Chris Peter, field nutritionist, will join thousands of other industry professionals at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Visit Jerry and Chris at booth 558 in the Varied Industries Building (VIB).

Whether you’re in Dubuque or Des Moines, let us know how the events are going!

Corn in the Classroom

May 25th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Back in April, we learned that young farmers plan on careers in agriculture because they want to be their own bosses, stay close to home and carry on family traditions.

The Missouri Corn Growers Association’s Corn in the Classroom program hopes future generations will feel the same way.

Corn in the Classroom

The program materials help educate students on the importance of corn and the role it plays in each of their lives:

“Informing students on Missouri agriculture allows the next generation to better understand how today’s food, fiber and fuel is produced.  It also allows our youth to explore one of the most important sectors of our economy.

Lessons include the “Basics of Corn,” “Many Uses of Corn” and “Corn in the Environment.”  While entertaining, these educational plans target grade level requirements for Missouri third graders in science, math, social studies and health.”

All “Corn in the Classroom” educational materials are available online at www.mocorn.org or by calling (800) 827-4181.

As weather warms up, keep a close eye on stored grain

May 21st, 2010 by Karlie Justus

At the beginning of May, we looked at how hot weather affects dairy producers. But what about grain producers and storage operators?

After a wet harvest last year, grain farmers and operators are hoping for better drying conditions this spring. Corn and Soybean Digest talked with agricultural engineers at the University of Kentucky to find out best practices for 2010 as the weather heats up.

Among its tips:

“Cooler temperatures provided a margin of storage life last fall, but grain moisture must be controlled as the crop is held in warmer weather,” said Sam McNeill, UK Extension agricultural engineer.

For example, corn in good condition will store well at 15% moisture up to 60° F but should be dried to 13% as average temperatures approach 80° F. Corresponding moisture levels for soybeans are 13.5% and 11% at these same temperatures. However, grain in poor condition should be even drier to avoid spoilage as temperatures warm.

Read the rest of the article here.

Podcast: Jerry Weigel on test weight

April 9th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

In this week’s podcast, Jerry Weigel, BASF Plant Science manager of nutrition and technical service, responds to the 2009 USDA Production Report and offers some thoughts on test weight and its implications.

Listen in by clicking the link below.

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USDA reports on 2009 grain and silage production

April 7th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Last week on the blog, we looked forward to forecasts on 2010 corn planting acreage. Today, we look back to 2009 numbers to see how last year’s planting and harvesting may affect 2010 and beyond. When the USDA released its final 2009 crop report, we were very interested in the results for the grain and corn silage industries.

The DairyBusiness blog summarized the USDA’s findings:

  • U.S. corn for grain production is estimated at a record 13.2 billion bushels, up 2% from the Nov. 1 forecast, and 1% more than the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels set in 2007. U.S. average yield is also estimated at a record level for 2009, at 165.2 bushels per acre. This is up 2.3 bushels from the November forecast and 4.9 bushels more than the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004.
  • Corn silage production is estimated at 108 million tons in 2009, down 3% from 2008. The U.S. silage yield is estimated at a record high 19.3 tons per acre, up 0.6 ton from the previous record set in 2008. Acreage harvested for silage is estimated at 5.61 million acres, down 6% from a year ago.

On March 10, the report was updated to report corn acreage in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin that hadn’t been harvested in time for the report. Farmers were contacted in early February. Here are the results:

  • Crop harvested area declined 10,000 acres in Michigan
  • Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin harvested acreage remain unchanged
  • Yields in Illinois and Minnesota decreased 1 bushel per acre
  • Michigan and Wisconsin yields did not change

BASF Plant Science L.P. Announces New NutriDense Program Manager

March 23rd, 2010 by Karlie Justus

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, March 23, 2010 – BASF Plant Science L.P. today announced Nick Weihs has joined the company as a NutriDense program manager. In this position, he will play a critical role in developing and managing the NutriDense Grain market in Iowa, eastern Nebraska and southern Minnesota.

“Nick brings a wealth of swine production knowledge and relationship-building expertise to our NutriDense team,” said Kyle McMillan, NutriDense sales manager. “He has a passion for animal agriculture and for helping producers increase their profitability.”

Weihs joins BASF Plant Science with extensive experience managing all aspects of hog production, including feed supply, budget management and customer relations. Prior to joining the NutriDense team, he served as a manager for AMVC Management Services and a career agent at Farm Bureau Financial Services. Weihs graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Science.

NutriDense is a nutritionally enhanced corn that contains a stacked set of output traits designed to enhance animal feed performance. Seed companies market the product through licensing agreements.

For swine and poultry producers, corn hybrids containing NutriDense Grain traits elevate ration energy content without adding fat, increase essential amino acid content and improve phosphorus availability. At the same time, NutriDense Grain reduces the amount of soybean meal in the ration, which increases digestibility. NutriDense Grain provides better animal nutrition that leads to greater profitability for producers. To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com or follow on Twitter at Twitter.com/NutriDense.

About BASF Plant Science

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.

About BASF

BASF – The Chemical Company.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P.