According to NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall, they identified five major priorities for the organization that will be discussed in great detail during the annual meeting – trade, transportation, environment, competition, and healthy herd – cattle and consumers. Woodall says the overall theme for 2011 is sustainability. “The days of allowing others to define sustainability for this industry are over,” Woodall. “We will discuss these five priorities at the upcoming convention and determine how we can develop policies that ultimately sustain the future of this industry for generations to come. Our five priorities are critical to sustainability, profitability and longevity of the beef industry.”
There is still time to register for the meeting, if you have not done so yet. There are dozens of good reasons for anyone in the cattle industry to be there, from educational sessions to entertainment. The 18th annual Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, offers 20 sessions that cover all aspects of cattle production and marketing. To address today’s challenging industry environment, the 2011 curriculum will focus on three primary tracks:
* Technology Track – focus on Genomics and Reproductive Management
* External Forces Track – focus on Consumer and Environmental Issues
* Business Management Track – focus on Risk and Business Management
Lots of serious business will be done, but Friday night is reserved for laughs at the Cowboy Comedy Club featuring Larry the Cable Guy, sponsored by Bayer Animal Health. There’s lots more – information and registration details can be found here. Hope to see you there!
I took a look at what’s new with Ag Leader Technology with Mike Olson at the AG CONNECT Expo. Here’s Mike talking through precision applications and options during the show.
Mike says they just announced the addition of advanced seed tube monitoring to their displays. This allows farmers to take their Integra display and monitor singles and doubles in their spacing along with other things. This helps make sure you’re getting the best performance from your planter. Mike says farmers are most interested in auto steering since many haven’t implemented it yet and also planter clutch control which allows section control.
Looking ahead Mike says that he wants farmers to take a look at their OptRx crop sensor technology which allows for on the go variable nitrogen application. He says data they’ve seen from fields using this technology is amazing.
Agricultural investors have a major conference to look forward to in just a few months in Chicago. Let me introduce you to FC Business Intelligence and the World Agriculture Investment Conference 2011.
In spring this year, leading investment groups from across North America and Europe are coming to Chicago to discuss the opportunities and risks in agricultural markets. With the latest market insight and global case studies, anticipation is high.
On May 9-10, a unique forum will bring together institutional and private investors with top Ag fund managers, to debate strategies for participating in agriculture and surrounding investments.
Following months of research, this forum has been designed specifically to help investors to network and walk away with the practical information needed to make an appropriate choice based on varying risk tolerances and return objectives.
Confirmed participants already include: CAIA, ViVa, AgriCapita, Inter-American Development Bank, IFC, Rafferty Capital Markets, Farmers Edge, Chess Ag Full Harvest Partners, Citi and many more.
This is a unique chance to network with key investors, hedge funds and Ag managers, and to effortlessly catch-up on where allocations are being made and how best to develop the ideal Ag portfolio.
Debate will focus on:
How to take advantage of private equity investment in the full agriculture supply chain
Proven techniques for sourcing top operators
Understand how agriculture fits within investor portfolios
Identify the best agriculture opportunities from across the Americas and beyond
With more and more demand for food and farmland, surging prices and growing interest from investors, there’s one thing for sure…
Agricultural markets are exciting.
For additional information, registration assistance or questions, please contact George Kiley, Investment Director – World Agriculture Investment Series by email on gkiley@aginvestconference.com, or call on +44(0)207 3757 54
Support from corn grower organizations to use the term “corn sugar” instead of high fructose corn syrup is growing.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration supporting use of the term ‘corn sugar,’ and other state organizations such as the Texas Corn Growers have also voiced their support.
“We are calling upon the FDA to eliminate the confusion of the safety of high fructose corn syrup,” NCGA President Bart Schott said. “Permitting use of the term ‘corn sugar’ on labels will allow manufactures to more clearly describe high fructose corn syrup as a natural ingredient, nutritionally equivalent to sugar.”
The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) filed a petition with the FDA in September requesting approval for food and beverage manufacturers to have the option of using the new term as an alternative ingredient on product labels.
“Consumers need to know what is in their foods and where their foods come from and we want to be clear with them,” said CRA president Audrae Erickson. “The term ‘corn sugar’ succinctly and accurately describes what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from – corn.”
Now there’s an app for the World Ag Expo. I have never had the opportunity to attend but might have to get there via mobile!
For the first time in 44 years, World Ag Expo is going mobile. Available for both the iPhone and all phones with the Android Market, World Ag Expo’s Application gives its users access to everything the expo has to offer.
“World Ag Expo 2011 is themed Tools for Agri-Business, and our new app is just that – a tool for success at the expo,” said Lee Coito, 2011 Chairman. “Our app adds another free option for our attendees, building on our success in providing tools to help attendees identify in advance the exhibitors and seminars they want to see.”
By coupling with the Digital Show Grounds feature on worldagexpo.com, the app provides a mobile option for attendees to use to search products by category, explore the exhibitor directory, learn more about the seminars, view the Top-10 products and more. The MyShow Planner feature helps users organize and plan an agenda, making sure that they get the most out of their trip to World Ag Expo.
In addition the app allows users to search for hotels and nearby restaurants, check the weather and more in the resources portion of the app.
We’d like to introduce you to the newest sponsor of AgWired – Growmark, a regional cooperative, marketing products and services from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast and in Ontario, Canada.
Growmark picked the unique online community that ZimmComm New Media has built to enhance awareness about their brands. The community includes both the on-line publications and the social media channels associated with them. We’re thrilled to be able to provide Growmark with significant search engine brand optimization, as well as work with Growmark in developing its own social media channels.
In addition to Growmark’s sponsorship of AgWired, their FS Green Plan Solutions is also a sponsor of our Precision Pays. So over the coming months we’ll be learning all about the full range of products, services offered by this unique agribusiness.
Amy Bradford, Growmark corporate communications manager, says the sponsorship offers a unique opportunity. “ZimmComm is a well-respected company with publications and relationships that include key audiences we want to touch. And, as we enter the social media venue, we want to take advantage of the experience and knowledge ZimmComm has across media channels, and especially in new media, to increase awareness about the Growmark System.”
While visiting Growmark headquarters in Bloomington, IL this week I spoke with Brian Koenig, Member Services, about the company. He gave me a good overview of all the different things Growmark is doing. The first thing I learned is that Growmark has 219 members in 12 states and Ontario. He works with these member cooperatives on business processes as well as IT and technology needs. So I guess you could say that Growmark is a regional cooperative of local member cooperatives. That means that they are still ultimately owned by farmers. Growmark allows its members to focus more on their territory while taking care of business opportunities on a more national level. I asked who their competition is and it includes other regional cooperatives and entities within the industry. Brian says that right now some of the work they’re focused on includes some tax issues and the upcoming planting season.
You can listen to my interview with Brian and learn more about Growmark here: Brian Koenig Interview
Producers can fine-tune their farming operations with information gained at the 35th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Jan. 20, 2011, at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Ga.
John Deere is giving customers additional reasons to visit their local dealers this winter: the John Deere Green Fever Sweepstakes is in full force at participating John Deere dealers in the United States and Canada.
Kixor herbicide and Headline fungicide were named top no-till products of 2010 for weed and disease control at the 19th Annual National No-Tillage Conference.
The results are in for ZimmPoll #5. The question: “What do you think about the number of farm groups?” Our readers are not shy about letting us know their opinions and we appreciate that. The results: 33% say there are too many, 28% say the more the merrier, 25% say some are not needed but most are and 14% say there are just enough for everyone to have a voice. What do you think? Got a different answer?
Our next ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What does “sustainability” really mean to the public? This ought to be interesting. Let us know what you think and thank you for participating.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Leaders in research and industry will headline the upcoming 2011 Annual Conference of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, April 11-14th, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas, as they talk about how to feed a world that’s expected to need nearly twice as much food in 2050 than what is needed today.
To discuss this issue (and more), NIAA will feature Dr. Terry Barr, Senior Director of Industry Research, CoBank, Washington, DC; Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Agriculture Economist, University of California, Davis, CA; Mr. Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity, Kansas City, MO; Dr. Peter Groot Koerkamp, Professor Biosystems Engineering / Agrotechnology & Interim Professor in Animal Production Systems, Wageningen University, Netherlands; Mr. Ian Reece, Rabobank, New York, NY (Invited); Dr. Molly McAdams, H-E-B Foods, San Antonio, TX (Invited); Mr. Mark Anstoetter, Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City, MO; and Mr. Clint Hickman, Hickman Family Farms, Buckeye, AZ … plus, plenty of input and ideas from the folks attending the four days of seminars and meetings.
If you’re involved in animal agriculture, it’s definitely an event you won’t want to miss.
Register before March 1st and save 50 bucks off the $450 registration fee. More information is available here.
BASF Crop Protection products Kixor® herbicide technology and Headline® fungicide were named top no-till products of 2010 for weed and disease control at the 19th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio last week. This was the first time that Kixor was eligible for the award, and marks the fifth consecutive year Headline has been selected as a product of the year.
“BASF is committed to providing solutions that help growers protect – and even increase – yield potential by controlling tough broadleaf weeds, addressing yield-robbing diseases, and improving Plant Health,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Operations, BASF. “Kixor was widely successful in its first year as it offers growers a great resource for battling resistant weeds. Headline continues to offer growers the excellent disease control needed to provide Plant Health benefits and help maximize yield.”
I’ve been spending a wonderful day at Growmark. Do you know who Growmark is? If not, don’t worry. In coming weeks and months we’re going to get to learn about them together. We’ll be making a more formal announcement tomorrow as Growmark becomes a major new sponsor of AgWired and Precision Pays!
This morning we talked all about social media. Growmark has just launched a new website and is in the process of setting up and deciding how to manage social networking accounts like Twitter and Facebook. How to gauge effectiveness has been a big part of the conversation. Feel free to let them know what you think either here in comments or on Twitter. They would appreciate it.
According to University of Illinois professor Dr. Fred Below, there are “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” and one of the most important is nitrogen.
Dr. Below developed the “Seven Wonders” as a tool to teach farmers the relative importance of management factors that can impact corn productivity, ranking the top seven factors that can positively impact corn yields. “In our quest to grow 300 bushels and to improve crop management, we need to know those management factors that have the biggest impact on yield and make sure we manage those correctly,” he told me during an interview at the AGROTAIN exhibit during AGCONNECT Expo.
Fred ranks weather and nitrogen as the top two corn yield world wonders. “These wonders interact with each other so that every single thing about nitrogen application and use by the plant is affected by weather,” he says. So, while farmers can’t control the weather, they can control nitrogen loss due to the weather. To that end, Dr. Below included SUPERU® (with AGROTAIN technology) as part of a high tech fertilizer package in his studies. “The AGROTAIN technology like SUPERU is designed to mitigate weather-induced nitrogen losses. This lets the plant respond to the nitrogen, rather than have it be lost,” he said. “So preventing nitrogen loss is number one on the list for achieving high yields.”
The other five “wonders” on Dr. Below’s list include: hybrid selection, previous crop, plant populations, tillage and chemicals.
Listen to my interview with Dr. Below here: Dr. Fred Below
In this week’s program we’re going to look ahead to the Western Farm Show by talking with Jeff Flora, CEO, Southwestern Association (owner of the show). The show will be held February 25-27 at the American Royal Complex in Kansas City, MO. This is the 50th annual show and ZimmComm New Media is happy to be a part of it. We’ll be exhibiting and I’ll be conducting two of the educational sessions, one on “Becoming an Agricultural Agvocate” with AgChat Foundation on Friday and one on Saturday on “Social Media – Tips & Tools.”
In my conversation with Jeff he describes the Southwestern Association which owns and manages the show. It was founded in 1889 and represents equipment retailers in a multi-state area, working in the areas of legislation, communication and education. Jeff says they’re expecting a potentially record crowd this year since he’s seen so much interest, especially from exhibitors. There are going to be more than 500 exhibits which he says is higher than recent years.
A first time highlight at this year’s show is the Friday/Saturday night Championship Tractor Pull which will be held in Kemper Arena. I’m planning to be there! Tickets for it are available here. So it sounds like a good time will be had in KC, MO. We hope to see you there.
Jack Frost
Mother Earth
Father Time
Old Man Winter
Nature is real and alive. It breathes its wintry breath on us, it heats up our souls, it’s the world’s eternal calendar. Fortunately, I live in an area where I get to enjoy all four seasons: I witness the growth of spring blooms, heat waves reverberating off the pavement in summer, the pallet of colors on fall trees, and right now, a man of nature more commonly known as Jack Frost.
He typically is personified as nipping on our nose, but this week, he only made it as far as the front window of the house. His omnipresence tells me he’s just around the corner, waiting for the coldest of mornings to strike again.
I recently returned from a winter Iceland also known as Atlanta, where daytime temperatures reached a balmy 31 degrees. When the plane landed in Omaha, it was 2 degrees with a wind chill of -10 and there were 12 inches of snow on the ground.
I’m reminded again how alive and real nature is as I walk down to the mailbox the next day and Old Man Winter literally takes my breath away.
Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred have resolved a dispute regarding the marketing of certain corn seed products sold through Pioneer’s PROaccess business unit. As part of the resolution, Pioneer will continue to distribute products through its PROaccess business unit, with modified packaging.
The Organic Materials Review Institute has approved Alltech’s application for Sel-Plex 1000.
National Association of Farm Broadcasting president Lindsay Hill recently launched CowsAndCoffee.com, a place to read the latest agricultural news while you sip your morning cup of coffee.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its fourth “Book of the Year” award to Cris Peterson for Seed Soil Sun: Earth’s Recipe for Food.
I love Xtranormal movies. Just saw a tweet link to this one where an average cattleman tries to explain things to the president of the HSUS. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sadly true.
AgriSolutions® is offering “Producer Education Sessions” this month and next to help farmers achieve their 2011 financial goals.
According to Valerie Bates, AgriSolutions Training and Education Manager, AgriSolutions’ coursework is designed with the company mission in mind – to help agricultural producers become more effective business managers. Sessions are instructor-led in a classroom setting at AgriSolutions’ offices in Brighton, IL. Sessions planned for January and February will help producers learn to manage operations more efficiently and effectively, she said.
Coursework begins with a review of accounting principles, and includes financial reporting, analysis of operational and capital cash flow, and debt analysis. AgriSolutions coaches help participants understand true profit and cost, in order to enhance decision-making. Participants in some courses build business plans and strategic plans, and learn to better control their business’s finances to achieve their goals and objectives.
The courses include:
January 20-21, or February 3-4, 2011
AS 203 – Managerial Analysis
Producers attending will measure and monitor factors of managerial accounting centers, examining area performance, profitability, and assessing efficiency and cost control. Participants will leave with an understanding of true profit and costs, resulting in enhanced decision-making.
January 27-28, or February 17-18, 2011
AS 104 – Growth and Debt Funding
Participants will learn to analyze the impact of asset decisions on the operation, review key debt and equity principles, and assess the benefits of funding an operation with debt and equity. Producers evaluate their operation’s working capital requirements, conduct a complete debt analysis.
February 1-2, or February 15-16, 2011
AS 103 – Taking Action to Improve Performance
This class will explore basic accounting principles, financial reporting, analysis of operational and capital cash flow, and managing business finances to achieve goals and objectives.
For additional information, registration assistance or questions, please contact AgriSolutions Education by emailing asiEducation@agrisolutions.com, or call 800-454-4524. Online training options are available, as well, offering 24-hour access, 7 days a week.
I’m glad I could get farmers in the title three times. The reason for this post is the excellent response in comments to a recent story post Cindy did about Farm Bureau members engaging in social media. I really appreciate one AgWired reader who posted a comment with her observation after looking at some of the Twitter accounts of the farmers mentioned in the story, “. . . they do a good job of having conversations, but it seems to be with just other people in the ag industry and not “non farmers” as they call them.” So I tweeted this question with a link to the post “Are farmers only talking to other farmers?” That generated a number of responses through the blog as well as Facebook and Twitter. One of the recurring themes is that you can’t judge social networking and new media with just a quick look. This is about having an ongoing conversation that ebbs and flows. Some times it may just be with a few friends. Some times it might be with a whole new group of people. Kind of like real life, eh? And as some point out, they have both a business and a personal presence although there are some like me who combine both at the same time. What are your thoughts?
Here’s a list of excerpted comments that were posted:
I have to agree with everything that has been said. Social Media use in Agriculture is in it’s infancy and is growing by leaps and bounds. If each farmer reaches out to just a few outside farming amazing things will happen. I have spent quite a bit of time thinking of more than one way to reach out and not just through social media.
I also agree that ones total social media presence cannot be judged by just a brief look at a Twitter account. There’s so much more out there (blogs, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Quora, Foursquare, etc.).
And there are a ton of people who consume information without acting on it. My guess is the amount of people who have read this conversation, but haven’t said anything is overwhelmingly higher than those who are participating. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with preaching to the choir once in a while either…especially when it gets them singing the same tune!
I do talk to other farmers a lot using social media. They are my friends and I enjoy hearing updates about their farm’s. I have learned a lot about farms across the US and have even made some improvements to my farm after hearing some creative ideas by other farmers via twitter and Facebook.
Don’t discount the fact that we talk to other farmers a lot though, we do talk to others outside of agriculture a lot. Just this morning I enjoyed a conversation with a young lady from New York City. I also get at least one email or direct message a week from somebody that found me from social media and has a specific question about agriculture that they want to learn more about.
At the same time, the analysis of SM is not easily tackled in a quick one off. First, considering a tiny point in time isn’t representative of any efforts on SM. It’s about relationships. Second, I’d also suggest that my social media connections go WAY beyond Twitter with Facebook, blogs, etc.
Indeed many of us talk to farmers, but we talk to many non farmers as well. I talk with many moms, foodies and others of interest to me. I would say more than 75% of those I follow are non-farmers. I learn a lot from farmers and nonfarmers a like.
DuPont has entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Danisco for $5.8 billion in cash and assumption of $500 million of Danisco net debt.
Beck’s Hybrids will be hosting 52 grower meetings in January and February to summarize key topics and findings from Beck’s 2010 Practical Farm Research, as well as discuss long-term management procedures.
The Makhteshim Agan Group announced that on Jan. 8, 2011, the agreement was signed with a subsidiary of the China National Chemical Corporation to carry out a merger.
I found out what’s new with AgWired sponsor, Leica Geosystems, at AG CONNECT Expo from Harlan Little, North American Business Manager – Agriculture. He says they’ve just announced a full suite of new products that include expanding the line of SteerDirect steering solutions and adding a number of new features to the Leica mojo3D and Leica mojoMINI displays.
Listen to Harlan explain each of these and what they offer to farmers who want to take advantage of the efficiencies offered by the latest precision products here: Interview With Harlan Little Leica’s SteerDirect Solutions
The new SteerDirect Hydraulic option is a compact, integrated solution designed to work with the Leica mojoRTK auto-steer console.
New Leica mojo3D
The new Leica mojo3D guidance display has been upgraded with a number of new features, including the new Ultimate Curve guidance option, Boundary Recording, and the ability to upgrade to GLONASS satellites.
New Leica mojoMINI
The Leica mojoMINI also has a number of new features, making this entry-level display a must-have for any farm operation. The Leica mojoMINI is a great solution for anyone looking for an affordable way to start saving money in the field by enhancing driver accuracy and reducing overlap. Plus, with new features like Boundary Recording, Coverage Mapping and Continue Field, the Leica mojoMINI is even more useful.
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 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has set it’s 2011 policy priorities in preparation for the upcoming Cattle Industry Convention being held Feb. 2-5 in Denver. 
There is still time to register for the meeting, if you have not done so yet. There are dozens of good reasons for anyone in the cattle industry to be there, from educational sessions to entertainment. The 18th annual Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, offers 20 sessions that cover all aspects of cattle production and marketing. To address today’s challenging industry environment, the 2011 curriculum will focus on three primary tracks: 
I took a look at what’s new with 
The 
According to University of Illinois professor Dr. Fred Below, there are “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” and one of the most important is nitrogen. 
In this week’s program we’re going to look ahead to the 
According to Valerie Bates, AgriSolutions Training and Education Manager, AgriSolutions’ coursework is designed with the company mission in mind – to help agricultural producers become more effective business managers. Sessions are instructor-led in a classroom setting at AgriSolutions’ offices in Brighton, IL. Sessions planned for January and February will help producers learn to manage operations more efficiently and effectively, she said. 
I found out what’s new with AgWired sponsor, 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
