It’s a color explosion – there are dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, beet pickles, beets, beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato juice, kraut, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, apple butter, plum butter, jelly and jam! And in total, back in her prime, my grandmother used to can at least 200 jars of food each year to feed their family.
Next summer, in hopes of preserving a farm-wife tradition, I’m going to have Grandma teach me how to preserve food. She learned canning from her mom and from 4-H and it’s time to pass that tradition along before it’s lost.
The process of canning has changed and morphed over the years. Grandma used to use zinc lids and a rubber ring – now, they’re self-sealing metal rings and inserts. They used to can meat (beef and chicken), but meat lockers changed that. The pressure canner also changed the face of the job and sped up the process as compared to using the old boiler or kerosene stove. The advent of freezers meant bags and jars of corn, apples, pumpkin, gooseberries, strawberries and rhubarb could go in the freezer instead of on the shelves.
But even with the modern technologies, it’s not an easy process. First, you have to actually grow your produce! Then there’s the picking, cleaning, stemming, cutting, sometimes pre-cooking, making sure lids are sealed and adding paraffin to the top of jams and jellies.
My Grandma is now 85. At about 200 jars per year since she was 18, I’ll let you do the math.
The Corn Refiners Association petitioned the FDA to allow manufacturers the option of using ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative name for high fructose corn syrup.
A collaborative research team led by scientists at the Mars Incorporated, the USDA-ARS and IBM will announce this week that they have successfully completed a preliminary genome sequence of the cacao tree.
Recently, Vermeer launched a new website to provide information to our diverse customer segments.
Andy Vance with Buckeye Ag Radio has some great coverage from the event, including an interview with USDA chief economist Joe Glauber about the proposed rule. Secretary Vilsack continued to say it was not appropriate for him to comment on the rule. Vilsack has basically made no comment about the rule since it was released in June and he was quoted in the official release saying, “This proposed rule will help ensure a level playing field for producers by providing additional protections against unfair practices and addressing new market conditions not covered by existing rules.”
In Andy’s interview, Dr. Glauber seems to distance USDA “the department” from “the agency” GIPSA. “GIPSA has put out a proposed rule. We have some responsibilities within the department to review rules and so we had looked at early versions of the proposed rule that went out,” says Glauber. “The agency will be reviewing all the comments. We will be looking to see how the agency addresses the comments in terms of the costs and benefits of the rule.”
Glauber had no real direct answers to Andy’s questions about the lack of an economic impact study on the proposed rule and the potential for unintended consequences. He agrees that alternative marketing arrangements have been beneficial for many producers and he agrees that “from an economist’s perspective” the various livestock segments – beef, pork and poultry – are very different in terms of production and marketing. Dr. Glauber said they were glad to hear from the cattlemen who came to Washington last week and encouraged them to make comments about how the proposed rule would affect them.
Y’all really should listen to this interview – it’s posted below. Thanks, Andy! Andy also has good interviews with Mike Engler of Cactus Feeders and Nebraska Cattlemen’s president Bill Rishel.
Let’s say you want some ultra HD video on the go, simple and very portable. Flip has updated their revolutionary video cameras, including the new Flip UltraHD.
Smooth, crystal-clear HD video that looks incredible under any condition – no complicated settings required. UltraHD now features image stabilization and double the frame rate so your videos look as stunning as the moment in action.
* Simply drag and drop to organize videos
* Archive videos in one place
* Trim, edit and add music to your videos
* Use Magic Movie™ to make movies with the click of a button
* Create video greeting cards, starring you
Members of the American Hereford Association will gather in Kansas City Oct. 30 – Nov. 1 for the 2010 Annual Meeting. Hereford enthusiasts from across the U.S. will enjoy a full schedule of events and activities including educational forums, the Annual Meeting and the National Hereford Show during the American Royal.
Syngenta Seeds, Inc. has launched its new website combining the company’s Garst, Golden Harvest and NK seed brand websites and Agrisure traits website, and providing corn growers and soybean growers localized information on crops, traits and seed products.
Elanco Food Solutions has launched a new website as part of its commitment to provide food-safety solutions to the meat and poultry industries.
Pioneer Hi-Bred and Pannar Seed Limited, a South African-based seed company with operations throughout Africa and other parts of the world, announced an agreement for Pioneer to purchase a majority share of Pannar.
The good ones are getting smaller and cheaper. One of the questions I get asked most often is about what gadgets I recommend for today’s new media world. Well, add this one to the list. The TASCAM DR-03 might just be one of the handiest tools in your mobile journalism kit.
The ultra-portable DR-03 is TASCAM’s most affordable recorder yet! The built-in high-quality condenser microphones are recorded as either WAV or MP3 files to microSD card media, and a 2GB card is included to start recording right away. The DR-03 packs high-quality recording – up to 48kHz/24-bit – into a package smaller than an energy bar. At a price under $100, everyone needs a DR-03.
Like the rest of TASCAM’s best-selling portable recorders, the DR-03 features playback functions like looping and Variable Speed Audition to slow down music without changing the pitch. It’s designed for low handling noise when recording handheld during concerts or interviews. A low cut filter, analog limiter, manual and auto gain settings help to prevent distortion when recording. In addition to the built-in microphones, an 1/8″ mic/line input allows recording from mixers, external microphones and other sources.
From beginning students to professional musicians, interviewers to videographers, everyone could use a DR-03 from TASCAM!
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica introduced 3FLEX today. This new vaccine that treats the three most significant diseases in the swine industry was met with a lot of approval from the attendees here at the 2010 Swine Health Seminar. We’ve heard from BIVI on the announcement. Now let’s hear from some of those in the audience.
The Director of Swine Marketing for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica is Randy Buller. He introduced attendees at their Swine Health Seminar to a brand new product, 3FLEX. Randy says the product will “revolutionize the vaccinating for the three most critical diseases in the swine industry.” He says 3FLEX will contain Ingelvac MycoFLEX, Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Ingelvac PRRS. It’s the first time the FDA has approved three vaccines to be used together in swine.
During today’s seminar our presenters will be discussing the research that has been done on this new product as well as ideas and suggestions for monitoring and diagnosing diseases in pigs. All the presenters will take part in a discussion panel after the presentations.
Here’s the welcoming committee for the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar. Our room is full and I’ve already conducted several interviews.
BIVI has just made a big announcement about the a first for the industry, 3FLEX, a single dose vaccine that includes Ingelvac MycoFLEX, Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Ingelvac PRRS. I’ll have more about this in the next few posts.
Successful Farming® magazine was announced the Media Industry News (min) b2b Wow Award-winner at the Integrated Marketing Awards ceremony in New York City amongst more than 300 top-level media executives. The Wow Award is presented to the most innovative integrated marketing campaign or idea.
“We hear a lot today about social media and social networking – users interacting with other users,” said Scott Mortimer, Publisher of Successful Farming. “In ‘All Around the Farm’, farmers have been sharing ideas for over 80 years. You might say it’s the great-grandfather of social media. It has continuously been a resource for our readers and is recognized as a favorite editorial feature in every issue.”
“All Around the Farm” began in 1929 as a forum in which farmers and ranchers could share problems and brainstorm solutions. While it first ran exclusively in the print version, the program has since expanded throughout the years into all of the brand’s formats. Besides being a regular feature in the monthly magazine, it has a presence on Agriculture.com, on the “Machinery Show” on RFD TV and is a popular book.
One of my upcoming stops on the agriblogging highway will be the U.S. Grains Council and Renewable Fuels Assocation, Export Exchange. The event is taking place October 6-8 in Chicago, IL. If you’re in the grains business, especially dealing with DDGS then this is the place to meet with international buyers. I spoke with USGC CEO Tom Dorr about the event. He says that there will be more than 150 international buyers networking with over 300 U.S. producers and others involved in the industry. He says it’s a continuation of a series of programs that began about four years ago.
The program is designed to allow people to make connections and better understand the product. This is the first time the Grains Council has had a sponsor like the RFA. Another new thing this year is a focus on the coarse grains markets due to the global demand growth which has stimulated DDGS exports. Tom says those exports have grown from near zero in 2004 to over 6 million tons for 2009 and they’re growing.
You can listen to my interview with Tom here: Tom Dorr Interview
The Export Exchange 2010 is uniquely focused on connecting international buyers of DDGS and coarse grains with the U.S. market. The Council is providing sponsorship for the attendance of targeted international trade teams from more than 25 countries. These participants represent nearly 80 percent of the global export market for DDGS and coarse grains. The conference will address critical issues facing U.S. exports and seek to educate and build awareness of U.S. DDGS and coarse grains among international buyers.
Besides farming, Brent Johnson (pictured right) owns and operates a precison ag company called LABRE Crop Consulting. They are a Leica Geosystems (AgWired sponsor) dealer. Brent talked with me at the Farm Progress Show. He says they try to take a farmer perspective in helping a farmer out.
Brent says that Leica products are unique in that they are not tied to one “color” and work with a variety of networks like the Iowa CORS network which allows them to create sub inch accuracy. The CORS Network is a cellular based correction signal which he describes as a mesh of RTK that blankets the state. He likes Leica products because of their simplicity, especially working with this network.
Brent says that most of his customers know they want some level of precision applications/products and come to him to help create a plan for how they’ll implement a system in their operation. He says they all have different goals and start and end points. His business has grown steadily over the last five years and that he believes there’s a lot of potential for it to grow in the future.
Don’t forget that tomorrow is National Cheeseburger Day. It’s a time to get that grill going, or oven, or frying pan . . .
Americans celebrate National Cheeseburger Day, September 18, 2010, with classic beef cheeseburgers, a favorite American tradition. As a preferred topping on the burger, 44% choose American cheese, 38% like Cheddar and 23% also say they sometimes put Swiss cheese on their burger, according to a recent survey by IPSOS Public Affairs for The Beef Checkoff.
It looks like the Android app market is beginning to see some agricultural applications.
PureSense Environmental Inc. announced today that its Irrigation Manager(TM) Android application is now available through the Android Market.
The PureSense app allows growers to monitor their real-time field conditions and irrigation activity from their Android phones. Monitoring stations placed throughout growers’ fields send data through the internet every fifteen minutes and the PureSense Android application allows the grower to access that information in the field. Using the “offline sync” feature, the data becomes available on the Android phone even when the grower enters an area without cellular signal.
Bryan Alessini, Ranch Manager with F&M Oberti Inc monitors 1500 acres of almond and olive crops with PureSense. Alessini was a beta tester for the Irrigation Manager Android app. Alessini found flexibility a key advantage of the new app. “The new Android app has really given us added flexibility in monitoring not only our field moisture, but also the climate readings our PureSense systems deliver,” said Alessini. “It has been a dependable app and makes it so I don’t have to be near a computer.” PureSense has plans to release additional apps for various platforms in the coming months.
Do you know what this image means? If not, you’re not alone. Let’s just say it has to do with Boehringer Ingelheim and pigs.
We’ll find out more this weekend when I attend the BIVI Swine Health Seminar in St. Paul, MN. It’s going to take place on Saturday afternoon. We’ll find out together online.
Speaking of farm shows. How about Husker Harvest Days? It’s going on now in Grand Island, NE. This is a show I haven’t been to in years but always enjoyed.
Check out their interactive map.
After a delayed start to Day 2 the crowds filled the Husker Harvest Show site west of Grand Island providing exhibitors a strong day. The event, which draws people from more than 40 states, offered plenty of new tech for visitors. The delayed start, caused by high winds overnight ahead of Day 2, are long gone as Day 3 dawns.
A favorable weather forecast will greet visitors traveling to the site today, with highs predicted in the mid-70′s. Day 3 will be a pleasant one for the big show.
From prototype tractors to new-tech irrigation equipment, the show has a wide range of new products for visitors to check out.
So many farm shows, so little time. I wish we could be at all of them. One of them taking place this week is the Big Iron Farm & Ranch Show in West Fargo, ND. Pictured are a couple of the guys from the Red River Farm Network. The show runs through today and has a significant international attendance.
North Dakota is hosting a large delegation of international guests who are attending the 2010 Big Iron Farm Show and many other events designed to promote exports of North Dakota agricultural equipment and services.
About 110 buyers of farm and ranch equipment and livestock are expected to attend the Big Iron Farm Show’s International Visitors Program Sept. 13-17. The visitors will travel from more than 10 countries, including Russia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Ukraine, Canada, Uruguay and South Africa to participate in the program.
“The International Visitors Program is a great way of leveraging the draw of the Big Iron Farm Show to build on the growing global demand for North Dakota’s agricultural products,” Gov. John Hoeven said. “This program is one of many strategies we have developed to promote our quality products in high-demand markets around the world.”
This week I read a book about the ongoing discussions regarding the causes of the food crisis. It should come as no surprise that several of the main reasons the globe is in the midst of a food crisis, according to a The Food Wars author Walden Bello, are commodity speculation, biofuels, increased demand for food in Asia brought on by prosperity, and most influential, the massive ag policy reorientation known as structural adjustment.
“More central as root causes have been structural adjustment, free trade, and policies extracting surplus from agriculture for industrialization, all of which have destroyed or eroded the agricultural sector of many countries. No one factor can be pinpointed as the cause of the global food crisis. It is the confluence of these conditions that has made the contemporary food price crisis so threatening and difficult to solve,” writes Bello.
One area of focus in The Food Wars, is how US and EU agriculture and agrofuels policies are hurting those very people they are indirectly supposed to be helping. At one point in the book, Bello describes the “capitalism versus the peasant” and details the move to corporate farming – even in the U.S. He cites a statistic about US government subsidies for agriculture, “currently, 38 percent of producers who provide 92 percent of US food receive 87 percent of all farm program payments.”
He then proceeds to explain how the family farm manages to persist among the growing number of corporate farms.
From there, Bello outlines how many corporate players favor the World Trade Organization’s efforts (WTO) to phase out farm programs that subsidize farmers and allow the dumping of US grain abroad. He then notes that, “the United States has steadfastly refused to significantly reduce, much less dismantle, its farm-support programs, which transfer some $40 billion a year to the agricultural sector from consumers, firms and taxpayers.” He says that this stance ultimately equates to free trade for the world and protectionism for the US.
Obviously, Bello explains the above in great detail in the book but ultimately, he segues into the idea that as we enter the world of deglobalization, there may be an opportunity for peasant and small-farmer based agriculture serving local and regional markets to play a starring role in how the production of food is organized and orchestrated.
Bello does a good overall job of trying to address all the factors that contribute to the rise and fall of food prices. In his conclusion, he offers some ways to help people take control of their food security and points again to small farmers or peasant-based farming as a good model to develop local or regional sustainable alternative economies.
The Georgia Peanut Tour got started today. You can get a detailed overview of where they’re going from Amanda Smith, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Tour Committee. Follow along on the blog, Twitter and Facebook.
The 24th Annual Georgia Peanut Tour kicked off this week in Americus, Ga., with a Hot Topics Seminar at the Sumter County Extension Service Office. The Hot Topics Seminar provided updates on the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) and included a special focus on harvesting and post harvest storage along with information on the 2010 peanut crop. The tour continues Sept. 15 and 16 in the surrounding area.
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.
It’s a color explosion – there are dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, beet pickles, beets, beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato juice, kraut, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, apple butter, plum butter, jelly and jam! And in total, back in her prime, my grandmother used to can at least 200 jars of food each year to feed their family. 
The proposed 
Successful Farming® magazine was announced the Media Industry News (min) b2b Wow Award-winner at the Integrated Marketing Awards ceremony in New York City amongst more than 300 top-level media executives. The Wow Award is presented to the most innovative integrated marketing campaign or idea.
One of my upcoming stops on the agriblogging highway will be the U.S. Grains Council and Renewable Fuels Assocation, 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
