Made For Agriculture MFA Incorporated

The Made for Agriculture podcast co-hosts Adam and Cameron discuss the start of the row crop growing season with Crop-Trak agronomists around the MFA territory. The team discusses planting & planning for corn, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa in Missouri, Southern Iowa, Eastern Kansas, the Boothill and northern Arkansas. They also do a quick Stripe Rust update.

This week's podcast outline is in the show notes here: https://www.todaysfarmermagazine.com/blog/2254-mfaapril12

Made for Agriculture co-hosts Adam Jones and Cameron Horine double down on their Agronomy backgrounds with a timely roundtable on rust and wheat. This episode is the first of this growing season’s series that we call “In Season Insights,” named after the weekly newsletter that only Crop-Trak Complete customers get. Once corn and soybeans are in the ground, this podcast will be every other week, sometimes every week, depending on just what these Crop-Track agronomists are seeing in the row crop fields across the MFA and Ag Choice territory.

Intro
50 seconds – Shannon talks about the wheat crop in Southeast Kansas.
1:40 – Stripe Rust is starting to show up already just south of the territory
2:45 – How Rust robs yield
3:30 – Weather conditions for rust is forecast over next weeks
5:20 – Scott Wilburn, central Missouri, talk about fungicides.
6:00 – systemics work well early, discussion on types of fungicides.
8:00 – How fast can Stripe Rust spread?
10:00 – Frost damage on advance wheat might be a concern.
10:30 – difference between Stripe Rust and other rusts?
12:00 – Frost damage a concern changes with growth stage of wheat.
14:00 – Rust in the north not an issue yet but very high near Stillwater, OK. Could be a problem if a high wind event occurs.

The regular In-season podcast Insights series will start Friday April .

Here is the video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GDL_jeHrSA

Made for Agriculture Podcast co-host Emily Beck interviews two folks with experience with the Missouri Department of Conservation and conservation land management.

MDC’s Private Lands Program District supervisor Jordon Beshears and MFA District Sales Manager Matt Hill.

Introductions
3:00 min – Previous podcasts on NRCS.
3:55 min – History of Missouri Department of Conservation.
5 min – MDC the envy of other states.
6 min – MDC resources for private land owners from native forages to management plans.
7 min – MFA and conservation practices.
7:40 min – MDC and expertise they offer.
8:50 min – Ninety plus percent of land in Missouri is private.
10 min – Increasing production for both ag and wildlife habitat is important.
11 min – From Buffer zones to native grasses, small changes make large impacts.
12 min – Private lands make real impact.
13 min – Example of farmer who improved profit by enrolling field borders with CP33 program, planted warm-season grass . . .
17:08 min – using precision to conserve.
18:45 min – Nutri-Track helps reduce tillage, use fertilizer efficiently.
20:00 min – There is still a lot to learn about cover crops.
20:45 min – Field day description.
21:30 min – Jordan talks about his team’s field day.
23:00 min – How MDC works with FSA, NRCS are more.
24:00 min – Installing pollinator habitat, stream bank stabilization and other funded conservation practices.
29:00 min – prescribed burns and other activities work best when you know your goal.
36:00 min – Programs for deer encroachment. MRAP vs. DMAP.
38:00 min – Crop loss from wildlife & deer management.
39:00 min – Shoot more Doe & Share The Harvest.
42:00 min – The Grassland Summit is April 9 – 11th in Jefferson City – more info here: https://confedmo.org/grasslands/.
44:50 min – Contact MFA for conservation advice.
46:30 min – Recent Made for Agriculture Podcasts, Today’s Farmer Magazine issues.

Made For Agriculture podcast hosts, Adam, Cameron and Emily team up to discuss the latest in Dicamba ruling news with MFA’s Central Staff Agronomist Scott Wilburn and MFA Director of Crop Protection and Seed Jordan Tomlinson. They talk about product availability and substitutions. The agronomy team discusses the best ways to control weeds in your row crop fields this year.

Intro
1 min – Guest intros
2 min – Summary of Dicamba ruling.
3:30 min – Existing stock order by EPA.
4:30 min – What’s legal Dicamba use for 2024?
5:20 min – If you have Dicamba in stock….
5:50 min – How much product in stock?
6:40 min – Max dates in pipeline ruling.
7:10 min – Have a plan B and plan C.
9 min – Dicamba use pre and post.
9:30 – Boothill uses diacamba for Palmer
10:40 – Waterhemp plague in the North.
11:25 – The Waterhemp challenge by Scott.
13:30 – The loss of an effective tool.
17:00 – Resistance growth.
18:50 – Other tools are targeted.
21:00 – Group 15’s are not bulletproof.
22:00 – Who was behind the lawsuit?
23:00 –The process EPA has to navigate for label approval is a challenge.
25:00 – Lawsuit was a procedural challenge.
27:00 – Future possible record keeping & processes we’re heading toward.
29:00 – We need to educate the public & policy makers about need for crop protection.
32:00 – Challenges center around preventing Waterhemp from germinating – using everything from CP, to cover crops, to tillage.
35:00 – Tillage and soil loss will increase when chemistry is taken away.
37:00 – How has this affected the Liberty & generic glufosinate market?
39:00 – The 2025 Seed production plans
42:00 – Product distribution challenges.
42:50 – What overlapping control means.
44:30 – A few best practices spelled out
45:30 – Don’t assume you killed the weeds that you’ve sprayed.
47:30 – AMS tricks
48:20 – Thanks

Find the audio version of Made For Agriculture on Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio and Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/made-for-agriculture/id1087148300

Made for Agriculture co-hosts Adam Jones and Cameron Horine interview MFA’s Jason Worthington and Matt Hill as they introduce MFA Connect. The new system MFA is launching helps customers do everything from manage their accounts, to search products and interact with key MFA personnel. March 18, 2024 is the official customer release of MFA Connect.
Program key:
2 min – Intro of guests, Matt Hill & Jason Worthington
3 min – Ag needs more than a payment portal
6 min – The uniqueness of Agriculture allows and requires a personal touch
7 min – Network of trusted advisors
8 min – The flexibility of acting when you want

9 min – MFA Connect in a nutshell
11 min – Communication tools included
13:50 min – Practical examples of MFA Connect usage includes communication & record keeping
15 min - request a quote for products or more info on services
17 min – searching for products
18 min – bids, advice & service available  
20 min – one business day quotes
22 min – MFA Connect offers business efficiencies for MFA locations
23 min – Speed up service with timely communications
24 min – Record-keeping access, follow-up, time savings
26:30 min – Smooth reporting creates efficiencies
27 min – Other efficiencies for custom applicators like AgSync
29:45 min – The launch map: What’s next?
30 min – Updated launch date is March 18
31 min – Employees have been training on the MFA Connect since December.
33 min – Record keeping simplified.
34 min – App & Desktop logins make invoice review easy and improved tool.
35 min – Closing & thanks


March 18, 2024 is the official customer launch of MFA Connect. Learn more at: https://mfa-inc.com/connect

Contact the team with questions or ideas via email here: podcast@mfa-inc.com

Made for Agriculture co-host Emily Beck interviews two folks from the National Resource Conservation Service on the latest programs and conservation practices available to farmers. District Conservationist Matthew Miller and Resource Conservationist Brittanie Deangelo tag-team the question-and-answer format where they talk about everything from loans to the Nine Steps of Conservation, to tips on how to navigate the application process most effectively. Listen to Emily, Matt, and Brittanie discuss EQUIP, CSP, RCCP and MDC programs.

Intros of Guests
1:45 What is NRCS?
2:00 Programs available
3:30 The 9 Steps of Conservation
5:00 Examples large and small
8:00 Types of landowners served
9:00 The world of acronyms from EQUIP, CRP, CSP, cost shares
11:15 RCCP with MFA precision programs
12:00 EQUIP vs CSP- How they differ.
15:00 Geography matters
16:20 ACT NOW program
16:50 Native forages and pollinators
19:50 Forestry
20:25 MDC funding in some areas
20:40 Emily’s personal experience with funding on her farm
21:00 How long funding lasts and the process takes
24:00 More on contract length
25:00 Cut off Dates
Thank you guests
Offer suggestions to the host at podcast@mfa-inc.com.