How Ukraine Unrest is Impacting Ag

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Leah Guffey

Back in October during the World Food Prize there was a delegation from Ukraine and we spent some time getting to know more about the US-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC). So our thoughts have been with them as the news has been tuned to the unrest happening there.

Our friend Michael Datsenko with the USUBC put me in touch with his president and CEO Morgan Williams, who is currently in Kyiv, to get an update on the situation there and how it is impacting agriculture.

Williams told me that as the former Prime Minister has fled the country and sought refuge in Russia, a new parliament, new Prime Minister and new Ag Minister, Ihor Shvaika, are all in place and beginning to rebuild their infrastructure. Williams has already met Shvaika and will be meeting with him again later this week, along with some of the USUBC agribusiness member representatives.

In our conversation, Williams did debunk some rumors, such as explosives embedded in corn or wheat fields and that farmers aren’t holding onto their corn to hedge against the financial ruin the country currently finds itself in. In fact, he says that in Kyiv things are fairly normal while the upheaval is really happening in the area of Crimea. He does say that farmers are facing some issues getting operating capital with spring planting at hand, and that shipping could also be impacted by the unsettled financial situation.

Listen to our conversation here: Interview with Morgan Williams, U-S Ukraine Business Council

Bayer Tackling Citrus Greening

Posted on March 12, 2014 by John

Citrus growers in the country, especially those in Florida, have been under siege from a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or perhaps better known as citrus greening. During the recent Ag Issues Forum, Chuck caught up with Bayer CropScience’s Rob Schrick, who said while his company is able to provide some chemicals to fight the disease, they want to offer growers a more sustainable solution.

“We need these growers to be in it for the long term, so we need to be able to look beyond that [chemical solution],” he said, adding there are promising treatments out there, some of them in the GMO realm, which creates its own issues with how quickly a company can respond with a solution, trying to clear the regulatory hurdles, as well as consumer confidence hurdles to prove the technology. But Bayer wants to find a real solution for the long haul. “There’s no silver bullet, so we’re investing into enhanced research and partnering with universities and grower groups to combine our efforts.”

Rob pointed out that they are racing the clock to find a solution. In the more accepted GMO realm of crops, such as corn and soybeans, it takes 10-12 years to get a new strain through the regulatory process. For direct consumable crops, that timeframe could be extended substantially. He hopes that working with the government and universities will get them to take a new look at this to provide a solution that has that citrus tree applying its own natural defenses without the introduction of more chemicals before it’s too late.

“We need to keep these growers viable and keep these orchards in production for the long term and let these growers get back to doing what they do best: grow oranges.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Rob here: Interview with Rob Schrick, Bayer CropScience

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Register Today For New Farmer Summit

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Jamie

Attention new and aspiring farmers you can learn about both the field and financial sides of farming while making valuable connections at the two-day New Farmer Summit April 4 and 5, 2014 at Primrose Valley Farm near New Glarus, WI.

The low-cost event includes 24 practical workshops on topics such as caring for livestock, organic vegetables, orchards, bees, soil, equipment and more. Other workshop topics include creative access to farmland, finding funding, making a business plan, and how to obtain organic certification.

Registration includes two full days of workshops, large group sessions, a farmer panel, organic meals, a seed swap, and an evening barn dance with live music and a caller. Cost is $75. Scholarships are available, and a discount is offered to farm partners. Lodging is not included, however, rooms have been set aside at hotels in New Glarus and several local inns.

Participants can sign up for an optional “behind-the-scenes” tour of three local, sustainable farms from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 3. The $35 fee includes bus transportation, lunch and snacks.

Primrose Valley Farm is an 83-acre farm, owned by Jamie and David Baker, located in the Driftless region of South Central Wisconsin. It is five minutes outside of New Glarus, 25 minutes from Madison, and under three hours from Chicago. The Bakers left corporate careers in Chicago in 2008 to take up farming. Now they grow 75 varieties of produce for a 300-member CSA (community-supported agriculture group). Their diversified farm includes a 14,000-square-foot packing house with a community room on the second floor, which is where group sessions and meals for the New Farmer Summit will be.

The New Farmer Summit is organized by the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and Renewing the Countryside. Sponsors include Agrarian Trust, the National Young Farmers Coalition, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Funding is provided by a grant from the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

Registration and additional details are available online at mosesorganic.org/newfarmersummit, or by calling 715-778-5775.

A Sad Goodbye to Joe Watson

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Chuck

I am shocked and saddened by the abrupt passing of Joe Watson. He is one of many agricultural journalists Cindy and I have come to know and love around the world through our participation in IFAJ.

This is a photo of yours truly with Joe during the closing banquet at last year’s IFAJ Congress in Argentina. Joe was dressed in full kilt and toasted us with some good scotch whiskey as he helped promote this year’s Congress in Scotland. Needless to say we were having a good time. I could have posted a different photo buy I’d rather remember Joe with that big grin. I absolutely loved his sense of humor. Some people have said he could be grumpy. I can believe it but I most often saw a serious journalist who loved his work and was a real down to earth person. If Cindy and I can attend this year’s IFAJ Congress we will greatly miss Joe as I know all of our members who knew him will.

Here’s some information about Joe:

Joe was a former Chairman of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists and currently the organisation’s executive representative to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Joe had been the hard-working agricultural editor of the Press & Journal in Aberdeen since 1996.

Jane Craigie, the president of the British guild says: “It is because of Joe we are hosting in Scotland. It’s tragic that he will not be able to enjoy it. He was actively involved in organising one of the tours to Philip Benzie, Gregor Mackintosh and Maxwells farms. His was a great character, a prolific writer, he was often controversial but he was always proud of his principled stand; he had the courage of his convictions and he was a better journalist for it. We will miss him, his sense of humour and his input greatly. Joe won the P&J the Stuart Seaton award for the best farming content in a regional newspaper, an accolade that he proudly shared on his Farming pages in the Saturday Farming supplement”.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely sad and difficult time.

In Class with New Holland Operation Blue Force

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Chuck

Last week I shared my experience in the tractor cab learning about New Holland’s Auto Command CVT Transmission. Before we got in the field though we were in class with Nick Graham.

The Auto Command transmission gives the operator precise speed control. You can even set it to .1 MPH! I did that when I was out in the field. Not sure why you’d want to go that slow buy you can. You can preset speeds so that you can go to them at the touch of a button. There’s a lot more to learn about this transmission and controller which you can also learn from Nick.

You can listen to Nick’s lesson here or watch it below: Nick Graham Lesson

New Holland Operation Blue Force Photo Album

Drop Your Jeans for Cotton Board

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Jamie

The Cotton Board is asking you to drop your jeans for a good cause. Their Blue Jean Go Green campaign is a denim recycling program that gives old denim new life as housing insulation for communities in need.

Monty Bain is the Southeast Regional Communications Manager for the Cotton Board and spoke with Chuck at the recent Mid-South Farm & Gin Show.

“We’re taking old jeans and recycling them with a company called Bonded Logic out of Arizona turning them into housing insulation. They have already used them for Habitat for Humanity. They have collected over a million pairs and counting.”

A not-for-profit organization, Cotton Incorporated launched its denim recycling program in 2006 to give people the opportunity to give back to their community in a meaningful way while giving new life to old denim. Through a partnership with Bonded Logic Inc., recycled denim is converted into UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation,a portion of which is given to communities in need across the country (predominantly through Habitat for Humanity affiliates). Additionally, grants of insulation have been awarded for the development of community-based buildings.

People across the country can drop off their old jeans and register for a chance to win a $300 gift card to Cabela’s.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Monty here: Interview with Monty Bain

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Attendance Up at 2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Jamie

Attendance was up at this year’s Mid-South Farm & Gin Show. Tim Price, Executive Director of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Manager summed up the event with Chuck. He’s proud that farmers make plans to attend the show each year and make it a family affair.

“We don’t have the exact number yet, but we were ahead of last year. We think we will come in somewhere around 18,000 folks who have visited the show over the two-day time period. We always compete with the end of winter and the beginning of the planting season. Here in the south there are people fertilizing winter wheat now. They are anxious after this long winter to get out in the fields and begin tillage and a number of them have. But we find that they carve out time for this.”

Tim gives credit of the record attendance to good marketing and unprecedented years of profitability in American agriculture. He stated that even when the economy is down, people still come out to the show. They are seeking ideas to increase profits and ways to change in order to keep up with technology.

“This region of the country has the assets and the climate to really grow multiple crops. That’s an advantage. In my work representing the cotton ginning sector in the Mid-South, we love to see acreage, we love to see cotton production, we love to see cotton gins. But it’s not economically in the farmers best interest some years. What we have learned is that they are learning constantly how to adjust and adapt to what has really been a decade old process of going toward a market orientation and then an international orientation of our production.”

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Tim here: Interview with Tim Price

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Classic Smashes Records

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Cindy

With more than 7,300 total attendees, the 2014 Commodity Classic convention and trade show in San Antonio shattered all previous records.

“We knew it was the biggest event ever, but the numbers really surprised us as we saw them rolling in over the course of the event,” said Commodity Classic Co-Chair Rob Elliott.

And the record numbers are impressive:
Total attendees – 7,325 – up 18% from 2013
Total growers – 3,874 – up 16.5%
First time attendees – 1,261
Trade show companies – 301

Next year will be the 20th annual Classic and it will take place in in Phoenix, Ariz., the city where it all started. Then in 2016, Commodity Classic welcomes a new affiliate, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) for a bigger and better show in New Orleans, including the addition of several components and a number of exhibitors from AEM’s 2013 AG CONNECT Expo & Summit.

2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Today’s Farmer CEOs at Ag Issues Forum

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Cindy

The panel of farmer CEOs at the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum were pretty funny guys, in addition to being sharp businessmen.

The “How Today’s Farmer CEOs are Reshaping Modern Ag” panelists were (left to right) Chad Leman, co-owner of Leman Farms hog operation in Illinois; Jeremy Jack, partner at Silent Shade Planting Company in Mississippi; and Bruce “Onion Man” Frasier, owner of Dixondale Farms in Texas.

These guys discussed the everyday challenges they face running their farms, including training the next generation, new regulations, the public’s perception of farming, and weight of responsibility. They also discussed the importance of recording everything they do to help them track efficiencies and responsibilities.

Listen to the conversation here: Bayer Ag Issues Farmer Panel

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Zimfo Bytes

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Talia

FERN is pleased to announce a new partnership with veteran agriculture reporter Charles “Chuck” Abbott, who will produce a daily round up of top agriculture news to be called “FERN’s Ag Insider by Chuck Abbott.”
Pork producers Dr. Howard Hill from Cambridge, Iowa, Dr. Ron Prestage from Camden, S.C., and John Weber, from Dysart, Iowa, were elevated to the post of president, president-elect and vice president, respectively, for the National Pork Producers Council.
Fresh on the Menue App, allows users to locate nearby restaurants that serve Certified South Carolina Grown food, took top honors at the 2014 American Advertising Federation Awards.
The National Pork Board honored four farms as recipients of the Pork Industry Environmental Stewards Award at the annual National Pork Industry Forum.

20,000 Meals Packaged by FFA Members at Gin Show

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Jamie

In just a short amount of time these FFA students packaged 20,000 nutritious meals for the Mid-South Food Bank during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show held in Memphis, TN.

This doubles the number of meals put together last year. The endeavor was part of an outreach program by Kids Care.

The Mid-South Food Bank was founded 1981 and is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. There mission is to: To fight hunger through the efficient collection and distribution of wholesome food, and through education and advocacy. The non-profit focuses on feeding children, families and seniors throughout the Mid-South area.

Tim Price, Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Manager said, “I think it is important for FFA kids to learn that the food you produce really goes someplace, it goes to real people. This is an investment from two standpoints. Number one is the food that goes into this food bank as a result of this packaging effort is nutritionally balanced with vitamins and minerals in it. I think it is one of the highest quality foods for it’s purpose that’s in the food bank pantry. Secondly, they get to see where it goes. It’s a hands-on experience and it’s amazing to see in such a short amount of time how many packages can be done.”

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

WWE Hall of Famer Visits Gin Show

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Jamie

Jerry “The King” Lawler, WWE Hall of Fame member, was on hand during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show at the AgXplore booth.

He was there to work with a good friend of his who is president and CEO AgXplore, Barry Aycock. Those fortunate to stroll by the AgXplore booth were greeted by the WWE wrestler who was available for photos and autographs.

Barry said, “We have specialty products. We are are unique company that is growing like crazy. Jerry has been drumming up lots of business today and we are glad to be here.”

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Jerry here: Interview with Jerry Lawler

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Farm Bureau Kicks Off ‘Our Food Link’ Program

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Jamie

Farmer and rancher members of Farm Bureau from around the country officially kicked off the organization’s new “Our Food Link” program in conjunction with a conference for state leaders of Women’s Leadership and Promotion & Education programs.

“Our Food Link is a year-round program that county and state Farm Bureaus use to provide consumers of all ages and backgrounds with information about today’s agriculture,” explained Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee (AFBWLC).

“People want to know where their food comes from and who is growing or raising it,” Gilbert said. “Helping people connect with sources of clothing, food, shelter and energy in their communities is the foundation of this multi-faced new program,” she said.

Our Food Link activities range from outreach at supermarkets or farmers’ markets to hosting interactive booths at community events, speaking with lawmakers and neighbors about food and visiting classrooms to help students understand agricultural topics. Other program ideas include: an Adopt-a-Farmer program, fun runs, garden projects and “Zest ’n Zing” or other foodie events. Our Food Link activities may also include the collection of food and monetary donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities or other charities.

About 15 Farm Bureau members shopped for and donated food to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, D.C., this week. The connection between Farm Bureau and Ronald McDonald House Charities was forged in the mid-1990s. Since then, Farm Bureau members have donated more than $3 million in food and monetary contributions to Ronald McDonald Houses and other charities.

The Our Food Link planning toolkit and publicity tools may be downloaded here.

Bayer CropScience CEO on What the World Needs

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

Once upon a time, all the world needed was love, sweet love – but life is a little more complicated these days.

The theme of the ninth annual Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum was “What the World Needs” and topics included water security, communications, innovation, pollinators and sustainable farmers. At the end of the two-day event, Bayer CropScience president and CEO Jim Blome said the bottom line is that everyone has a role in feeding a growing world population.

Blome was particularly pleased to present the fourth Bayer CropScience Young Farmer Sustainability Award to Bryan Boll of Minnesota. “We thought we needed to elevate young farmers, the people who are doing things right and have a great story to tell,” said Blome. “These guys are running big businesses with an eye on the future and they’re not afraid of technology. We want to identify them, elevate them and then celebrate them.”

One of the most important segments of the forum focused on bees, which Bayer CropScience believes are critical to agriculture and the world. “Pollinator and bee health are really important to us,” said Blome, who explained that they take the fluctuations in pollinator populations so seriously they have dedicated significant resources to an overall Bee Care Program. That includes a new North American Bee Care Center to advance honey bee research, education and collaboration, which is scheduled to open next month.

“We all eat and one out of every three bites of food that we take comes from a bee,” said Blome. Interview with Bayer CropScience CEO Jim Blome

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Vilsack at NFU Announces Small Farmer Help

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

During an appearance at the National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Santa Fe, New Mexico today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and expanded efforts to connect smaller farmers and ranchers with USDA resources that can “help them build stronger businesses, expand to reach new and larger markets, and grow their operations.”

In a press conference from the NFU convention after his remarks, Vilsack said there were concerns following the publication of the recent recent Census of Agriculture about the “eroding middle in farming” but it shows tremendous potential for small and mid-sized producers in American agriculture. “We’ve adjusted policies, strengthened programs and intensified outreach to meet the needs of small and mid-sized producers,” said Vilsack. “These producers are critical to our country’s agricultural and economic future.”

“The secretary’s speech was very well received at our convention,” said NFU president Roger Johnson on the conference call with Vilsack. “This focus on small and midsized farmers is in many ways a focus on our members.”

Also on the call was National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Policy Director Ferd Hoefner, who specifically noted the importance of changes to the Farm Storage and Facility Loan (FSFL) Program which he says will greatly help small farmers sell their produce through local and regional marketing channels.

Listen to or download press conference here: USDA Support for Smaller Farmers

Ginners Unite at Farm Show

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Jamie

During the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Chuck spoke with Robert Royal, a cotton farmer and operator of Midnight Gin in Midnight, MS. Robert is also the past President of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association.

“It’s been a wild ride in the cotton market with acreage. Grains have taken a huge chunk out of cotton acreage that was traditionally a big crop in Mississippi. We are weathering that storm and curious to see how things change in the future. We will be a predominately a grain growing state or will cotton be king again?”

As Robert wraps up his term as President, he shared that the overall mission of the association is to make sure the best interests of the organization are at the forefront. They also have a safety program that helps members tackle issues that are hard to do alone.

Regulations continue to be an issue for cotton growers, but Robert said the most concerning issue the industry is facing is low acreage. He has seen many neighboring gins fold because they don’t have the volume to make ends meet.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Robert here: Interview with Robert Royal

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

New Poll Finds Farmers Less Optimistic

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

A new poll of Iowa farmers finds less optimism about the financial picture of agriculture this year.

The Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll, launched last month in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), found that farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures – spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop insurance.

Nearly 80 percent expect their 2014 farm financial outlook to worsen – 47 percent expect it to worsen “slightly” while 32 percent expect it to worsen “a great deal.” Poll respondents said they also expect the value of their farmland to drop this year, with 75 percent expecting values to decrease.

Eighty-seven percent of the farmers’ surveyed plan to either purchase more or continue about the same level of crop insurance as last year. The majority view crop insurance as the most important Farm Bill “tool” for maintaining their profitability this year.

The importance of crop insurance came through when farmers were asked what aspect of the Agricultural Act of 2014 will be most important in helping their financial situation this year. More than 62 percent chose crop insurance as more important to their operations than other aspects of the just-passed Farm Bill.

The poll was taken Feb. 23 with more than 130 Iowa farmers responding to the unaided 12-question poll.

The Wild Radish Song

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Chuck

I like radishes. But like some folks in Australia, not the wild kind.

A parody of the Gotye hit “Somebody I used to know” by agronomic consultant Bill Long, who farms on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia as well as consults to a number of farmers in the region. This is a farmer’s lament on attempts to control wild radish resulting in the loss of chemical options to the point where only radical options are available. Truly reflects the consequences of farming systems becoming reliant on herbicides for weed control.

Cultivate & Connect with AgChat

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Chuck

Calling all aspiring agvocates. The 2014 AgChat Foundation, Cultivate and Connect Conference will be held in Austin, TX, on August 21-22.

It has been said that everything is bigger in Texas. The AgChat Foundation’s 2014 Cultivate & Connect conference to be held at the Radisson Hotel & Suites in beautiful downtown Austin, Texas, August 21-22, 2014, will be no exception. For the first time, our annual conference will include an open registration process which does not require participants to complete an application and receive an invitation to attend. Additionally, there will be no limit on the number of alumni attendees nor a limit on non-farmers and non-ranchers. It will be the best and biggest AgChat conference to date.

Who should attend?

Cultivate & Connect is open to all farmers, ranchers, growers, agribusiness people and agriculture educators from all walks of agriculture. Large, small, organic, conventional, urban, hobby? You are all invited to attend.

Why should you attend?

Expansive networking within the AgChat community
Connect with leading experts and your peers
Learn and share innovative and cutting edge ideas
The best of the best in Ag speakers
Cultivate & Connect brings together the latest in technology and the farmers and ranchers who are using it
An experience you will never forget
Continue reading →

ASA Honors Lifetime Achievements

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Cindy

The American Soybean Association awarded two lifetime achievement awards during the annual banquet at Commodity Classic.

One was presented to a long-time friend of ours. Dave Drennan received the Lifetime Achievement Award – Membership Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Drennan started his career with ASA in 1975 as newsletter editor. He was named interim Field Services Director at age 24. Dave was ASA’s first Membership Manager in 1979 to spearhead ASA’s membership efforts. In that year, ASA’s membership increased eight percent and more than 1,400 members from the previous year. Drennan was also recognized as the number one ASA Regional Manager for membership recruitment in 1980 from ASA’s 11 regions.

We got to know Dave when he worked for the National Corn Growers Association many years ago, and he currently serves as Executive Director for the Missouri Dairy Association.

ASA recognized David Womack from Shelbyville, Tenn. with its Lifetime Achievement Award – Association Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to the ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Womack has been involved in the state and national soybean organizations for more than 30 years. Womack held leadership positions in ASA, was a founding member of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the last president of the American Soybean Development Foundation. He also served on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), Tennessee Soybean Association (TSA) and Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board (TSPB).