The Agrievolution Alliance (AA) announces that Japan has joined the alliance and is the 12th member of this global coalition of agricultural equipment manufacturing associations. The alliance has a full agenda of cooperative projects, including a new “global impact statement.”

Winners in the first-ever Pennsylvania Forage Analysis Competition were announced at the 2014 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, Feb. 12-13 in State College. Entries for the competition, which included six classes of forage analysis, were collected Dec. 1–31, 2013, with forage analysis and judging conducted in January. Three winners in each category were announced at the Dairy Summit, with the first prize receiving $1,000, second prize receiving $500 and third prize receiving $250.

The USDA has released the preliminary 2012 Census of Agriculture results. Key findings include an increase in the value of agricultural products sold in the U.S. totaling $394.6 billion in 2012, up 33 percent ($97.4 billion) from 2007.  

NuTech Seed LLC (NTS) is launching YieldLeader, a web-based precision placement tool program powered by MyFarms (MF), to dealers and customers this season.

MF serves growers and their suppliers by delivering security, accuracy and convenience. With the help of their dealer, growers can review, select and place unique NTS hybrids based on soil type, management practices, diseases and pests, according to the company, as well as desired agronomic characteristics.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) updated its online geospatial exploring tool, CropScape, adding Cropland Data Layers from crop year 2013. This tool gives public an easy access to interactive visualization, geospatial queries and dissemination without the need to download specialized software.

A downturn in large farm equipment has sparked the layoff of 120 workers at the East Moline, Illinois, plant of Deere & Co. The layoffs will be effective March 31.

According to a report by Chicago Tribune reporter Alejandra Cancino, Deere reported an increase in first-quarter income, but expects overall sales this year to drop, due in large part to decreased sales of ag equipment.

An early start to winter has caused many farms in the upper Midwest to reconsider whether they will have enough hay and other feeds to get their animals to spring. The summer of 2013 allowed many farms to replenish exhausted forage supplies that were caused by the drought the previous year. Still, last summer’s growing season was not perfect and many farms felt they had just enough feed to get through this winter as their harvest season ended.

Researchers at Michigan State University are breathing a sigh of relief after the Senate sent the farm bill to President Barack Obama for presidential signature. The president was expected to sign the bill today at the university’s Isaac’s campus in East Lansign. What researchers are most pleased with, however, is that the bill allows them to continue vital agricultural research.