The Sunbelt Ag Expo is just around the corner and yours truly will be there again this year thanks to Growth Energy. If you’re tweeting please use #SAE09 in your tweets. Then we can all follow along with the conversation.
A diverse array of labor-saving products, cutting edge technology and interactive educational exhibits awaits visitors who attend the 32nd anniversary Sunbelt Ag Expo, October 20-22, 2009, in Moultrie, Georgia. As North America’s Premier Farm Show™, the Expo attracts more than 1,200 exhibitors and 100,000 attendees. And in our current climate of economic uncertainty, a trip to this year’s Expo is a must for farmers, agribusinessmen, and rural homeowners.
It’s just about time for the National Peanut Festival. Farmers can apply for a ticket to Farmer Day which is November 2. The Festival runs October 30 – November 8.
Approximately half of the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama.
The National Peanut Festival (NPF) — the nation’s largest peanut festival — is held each fall to honor peanut growers and to celebrate the harvest season
The Miss National Peanut Festival winner is Katie Andrews -Miss Ozark.
Follow the NPF on Twitter.
As the peanut harvest arrives to the Alabama, Georgia, and Florida tri-states; people gear up for an enormous event that is held each year to celebrate the important role peanuts play in Southeast Alabama, known by locals as the “Wiregrass” area. During this time, residents also extend a salute to the actual peanut producers of this crop for their continued hard work and dedication in producing this healthy and tasty nut.
Known as the “Peanut Capital of the World,” Dothan, Alabama, is a prime location for producing peanuts. In fact, if you’re in Dothan, you’re in the heart of peanut country considering this area produces more than 65% of all the peanuts produced in the United States.
Bret Cude, Farmers National Company, has been elected President of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Others elected at the meeting were President-Elect Mark Wetzel, AFM, with Busey Ag Services, Decatur, IL, and Vice President Richard Grever, AFM, with Hertz Farm Management, DeKalb, IL. Fred L. Hepler, AFM, AAC, Wexford Capital, PC becomes Immediate Past-President of the Society.
Gary Schnitkey, Ph. D., University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, was appointed to continue his term as Secretary/Treasurer of the group and Phil Eberle, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, was named Academic Vice President.
The story starts out with a description of how and why one dairy farmer (Barbara Martin) is using social media.
For Martin, using social media and blogging is a way to dispel some myths about farmers and encourage a greater understanding of the slumping dairy industry.
She’s blogged about everything from fixing the pricing structure for milk to sharing her childhood memories about growing up on a farm. Her most recent post is a video diary about her heifer Chica.
So do you think dairy farmers are ahead of the curve or what?
The bottom line is that the use of social media by farmers continues to grow and grow and grow. And I just got an email today from someone in ag communications wondering “if Twitter is a passing fad.” Hmm. How would you answer that?
New communications technologies are developing faster than at any time in history. To choose not to participate is like deciding, “I don’t want to be part of your conversation.” Not a good strategy when they are your customers or members.
Pioneer Hi-Bred announced the company’s Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment offering for the 2010 planting season.
The announcement by the Center for Science in the Public Interest naming potatoes to the list of the “Top 10 Riskiest Foods Regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration” requires some important clarification so as not to raise unnecessary alarm or confusion among consumers.
Consumers would be forced to pay 25 percent more for eggs soon if animal rights activists succeed in getting only non-cage eggs sold in the U.S., according to a new study.
Syngenta Seeds calls them “broad leps” – farmers call them expensive – most people would just call them icky.
They are a bunch of nasty wormy creatures – technically lepidopteran corn pests – that make up what Syngenta calls the “multi-pest complex” which costs growers over $1 billion each year in lost yield and grain quality. They include corn earworm, fall armyworm, Western bean cutworm, black cutworm, stalk borer and sugarcane borer.
Agrisure Marketing Manager Tracy Mader says the pests are challenging because they affect all areas of the country and all growth stages of the plant. “The industry has done a very good job controlling corn borer root worm, but the next step is to control this group of broad lep pests, like black cutworm, that can attack the crop at the very early stages.”
That is what they are striving for with the Agrisure Viptera™ trait for corn, which is still awaiting all necessary regulatory approvals and authorizations before it can be marketed. “We’re working really hard,” Tracy said. “What we do have is deregulation from the EPA and the FDA and we are working hard with USDA to receive deregulation for Agrisure Viptera™ and they’re also working in all the key export countries as well.”
I interviewed Tracy about Agrisure Viptera™ during the recent grand opening of the Syngenta Seeds headquarters in Minnetonka, MN. Listen to or download that interview below. And if you want to find out more – and see a really creepy but impressive video – go to agrisuretraits.com.
I’m only a little behind in saying Happy World Egg Day. Thanks to Novus International for bringing it to my attention. Of course the day is meant to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and it was officially yesterday but better late than never. The photo below is from the Novus office cafeteria.
Here’s part of the message from Novus:
Over time, the egg industry has experienced quite a few changes. Today, an average hen will lay over 250 eggs in a given year. These numbers are attributed to genetics, animal welfare and feedstuffs.
Employees were educated on nutritional quality and the benefits of eggs during egg related activities which were held throughout the day. “The complimentary meals were fantastic,” stated Sherri Armstrong, Regulatory, Novus International. “Learning that eggs are the highest quality of protein available really surprised me.”
In addition to educational presentations about the egg, employees enjoyed a complimentary breakfast and lunch which consisted of egg based dishes like: omelets, french toast, quiche, crepes and egg soup.
“Eggs are an important part of our business at Novus,” stated Jared Hux, Product Manager, Novus International. “I really enjoyed educating my colleagues on the history, benefits and varieties of eggs on the market. I am already looking forward to next year’s celebration”.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced this week that they received nearly 21,300 applications to participate in the CSP, covering more than 33 million acres nationwide.
“NRCS has received enough applications to carry out conservation activities on more than twice the number of acres Congress authorized for CSP this year,” White said. “This incredible response shows that conservation-minded producers and landowners want to attain higher levels of conservation stewardship.”
Congress capped the annual acreage enrollment nationally at 12,769,000 for each fiscal year. The final national and state-by-state numbers on acreage nationwide will be available in November 2009.
The new president of the National Corn Growers Association, Darrin Ihnen of Hurley, S.D., is the star of a new video on the subject of increasing sustainability in agriculture that debuted Oct. 3 on the television program This Week in Agribusiness. The short video features Darrin and other family farmers telling the story of how better management and modern technology spells good news for both consumers and the environment.
Darrin says, “The only thing as important as growing a crop and getting a fair price is doing so in a way that is socially responsible and assures opportunities for the next generation of farmers and consumers.”
ClimateMinder, Inc. offers farmers and greenhouse growers flexible new remote monitoring and control systems.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has presented the National FFA Organization with a contribution of $15,000 to support a new pilot contest through which students will produce videos creatively explaining the benefits and sustainability of modern agricultural methods.
Less than 5 percent of farms saw an improvement in income this year, a drastic downturn compared to the same time last year, according to Rabobank’s Farm & Ranch Survey.
A breed-specific horned/polled analysis from IGENITY is now available for Holstein cattle.
The company launched the program earlier this year at the 2009 Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The program supports local school districts and colleges through initiatives that encourage students to learn more about agriculture and how their food is produced, and to share their insights and knowledge about what they learned. I talked with Dr. Lance Fox, Alpharma’s Director of Technical Services, at their exhibit during World Dairy Expo about the purpose of the program.
“Essentially the program is designed to reach out to our youth – elementary, high school, college-level students – our future leaders of tomorrow, to promote agricultural awareness,” Lance told me. “It’s not about products, it’s just about reaching out to the youth.”
It’s also about motivating young people to reach their own personal and professional goals, something Lance has done in his own life and he shares that story when he talks with young people of all ages. He grew up in the Wisconsin dairy industry, became a veterinarian, joined Alpharma as a technical services manager, and earlier this year achieved the personal goal of climbing to the top of Mt. Everest. “If you believe, you can achieve,” Lance says.
Find out more about the Reach Teach and Learn program, which features an essay and video contest for different age level students, at reachteachlearn.com.
Listen to or download my interview with Lance here.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program has a new website.
USCP Communications Committee Chair Billy Bob Brown said the new site is dedicated to sorghum producers and their interests. “My hope is that producers will take advantage of the new site, because it is there for them to use,” Brown said. “The Web site will allow producers to take advantage of the opportunity to be updated on the latest sorghum research and market development.”
In the future, the site will continue to grow and develop, adding a new research database, extensive information on market development activities and opportunities for even more interactive features.
Am I missing the social networking elements of this new communications mechanism?
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has a new VP of Owner-Member Services. He’s Todd Johnson and he was with the Kansas Livestock Association. He’s schedule to start his new position in January.
NCBA’s producer leaders recently created an organizational strategic plan to better serve members, and NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts subsequently re-aligned staff to better execute the plan, and created the Owner-Member Services department. As its name implies, Owner-Member Services will provide value and services for all types of NCBA’s owner-members, including producer and feeder members, state cattlemen’s affiliates and state beef councils. Johnson will lead the team, and will also serve on NCBA’s senior leadership team.
Johnson comes to NCBA with a wealth of experience. In 1995, Johnson joined the staff at NCBA affiliate Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), and until 2004 he coordinated membership recruitment efforts and worked as part of the government relations team. In 2004 Johnson joined the staff of the Kansas Beef Council as executive director. Prior to KLA, he worked at the American Hereford Association as director of youth activities.
It’s time for another Livestock Publications Council Boot Camp. This is for designer, writers and photographers. It happens the day before opening day of deer season in Missouri just in case you wanted to know that.
Speakers and topics will include:
Adobe InDesign & Adobe Illustrator – Presented by Shari Holloway and Amber Martin, EDJE Technologies
Writing Better Headlines & Cutlines and What’s New in AP Style – Speakers from the Courier Journal – Andy Alderette, Editing Manager, Jim Kirchner, News Operations Manager
Videography & Photography – with Crystal Young American Angus Assn. Director of Public Relations, Creative Media Coordinator
November 13, 2009 – 8 am to 4:30 pm
Workshop will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott by the airport and Expo Center, 819 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209
800-321-2211 or 502-368-5678 – Room rate: $109
Baking a potato is not a difficult thing to do unless you’ve never done it before and have no idea how. There’s help for consumers now from the U.S. Potato Board.
Potato classics go convenient and digital. The United States Potato Board (USPB) recently launched a campaign to help remove the time-barrier between busy moms and potatoes. It revolves around a new collection of Quick & Healthy Potato Recipes, and the news is reaching consumers reading traditional food pages and socially surfing the web.
The six most popular online searches for potato recipes—baked, mashed, fries, soups, salads and casseroles—were updated to be “Quick & Healthy” and enhanced with several flavor variations, for a total of 24 new potato recipes to please every palate. Additionally, six, one-minute educational videos were created. This package was introduced on September 18 through a multi- media on-line news release, so in addition to an article touting the quick-and-healthy benefits of meals with potatoes, there are links to recipe pages on www.potatogoodness.com, photos to download, and links to the videos on the Potato Goodness YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/PotatoGoodness.
As more and more farmers embrace new and social media mechanisms it’s only natural that they will see them as channels to connect with and educate the consuming public. I think dairy farmers lead the way.
Take Will Gilmer, Gilmer Dairy Farm, for example. He’s just started a new video series on YouTube called MooTube Minute. Additionally, he has created a video to demonstrate the eco-friendly way dairy farmers conduct manure management.
I’m just in a YouTube mood this morning so I thought I’d share this one Cindy sent me a link to. I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s titled, “Vegetarians, from the other point of view!”
Steve Mercer, U.S. Wheat Associates, Inc., says, “We’re posting photos from the Wheat Leaders Team now traveling in Colombia, Peru, and Mexico on our Flickr site.” He’s right.
Here’s one of them captioned:
Wheat Leaders at Pastas Doria, Bogata, Colombia, with Supply Chain Manager Guillermo Botero.
Great use of Flickr to “photo-blog” a trip. Find all the photos in their event set.
If you work in ag media, agency, company marcomm then you should really consider being there. This is your professional improvement opportunity to be immersed in new and social media for 3 days. That’s where you’ll find ZimmComm.
If for some reason you can’t make it then I will be writing about what I see and hear on ZimmComm.biz and here too. So I can be your new media eyes and ears.
Now if you really want to create some online branding for your company while learning more about today’s communications tools and mechanisms then I will be happy to have you “sponsor” my coverage. Just let Dave Larson or me know and I’m sure we can work out a deal!
Wrapping up the Global Dairy 500 Conference was Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech President. Dr. Lyons summarized many of the presentations with a series of take home messages. The focus was on the future of dairy farming, the integration of a brand, methane production, cow comfort, tourist attractions, education, milk marketing with nutrition also being a key topic. Additionally, a strong message that came out of the presentations was to “record the data” and that body conditioning is critical. As Dr. Lyons said, “Talk to the cow and the cow will talk to you.”
During his closing remarks Dr. Lyons introduced the Agri Aware program that Alltech has sponsored. The educational program for school children of all ages now has it’s first video module featuring “A Day in the Life of a Dairy Farmer.” We watched the video and then Dr. Lyons called on participants to go back home, take the program and have it translated into their languages.
You can listen to Dr. Lyons remarks below. And don’t forget to check out my photo album from the event. If you didn’t attend you can see what you missed!
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
David conducted a presentation on delivering expert opinion via social media to an audience at the start of International Poultry Expo week. He's got some great information about who consumers trust and how you can use today's consumer behavior to help communicate your message.
The Sunbelt Ag Expo is just around the corner and yours truly will be there again this year thanks to Growth Energy. If you’re tweeting please use #SAE09 in your tweets. Then we can all follow along with the conversation.
It’s just about time for the 
The Miss National Peanut Festival winner is Katie Andrews -Miss Ozark. 
Bret Cude, Farmers National Company, has been elected President of the 
Agrisure Marketing Manager Tracy Mader says the pests are challenging because they affect all areas of the country and all growth stages of the plant. “The industry has done a very good job controlling corn borer root worm, but the next step is to control this group of broad lep pests, like black cutworm, that can attack the crop at the very early stages.” 
I’m only a little behind in saying 
Employees were educated on nutritional quality and the benefits of eggs during egg related activities which were held throughout the day. “The complimentary meals were fantastic,” stated Sherri Armstrong, Regulatory, Novus International. “Learning that eggs are the highest quality of protein available really surprised me.”
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced this week that they received nearly 21,300 applications to participate in the CSP, covering more than 33 million acres nationwide. 
“Essentially the program is designed to reach out to our youth – elementary, high school, college-level students – our future leaders of tomorrow, to promote agricultural awareness,” Lance told me. “It’s not about products, it’s just about reaching out to the youth.”
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program has 
The 
It’s time for another 
Steve Mercer, 
The 
Wrapping up the Global Dairy 500 Conference was Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech President. Dr. Lyons summarized many of the presentations with a series of take home messages. The focus was on the future of dairy farming, the integration of a brand, methane production, cow comfort, tourist attractions, education, milk marketing with nutrition also being a key topic. Additionally, a strong message that came out of the presentations was to “record the data” and that body conditioning is critical. As Dr. Lyons said, “Talk to the cow and the cow will talk to you.”
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
