Canada’s Outdoor Shows Limited has been acquired by Vancouver-based Glacier Media.
As part of the inaugural “Yield Signs 4 Success” Program, SFP recently announced the National 4-H Council won its 30-Day Facebook Challenge. SFP will donate $2,000 to 4-H to further its agricultural education endeavors with America’s youth.
ABS Global, Inc. is pleased to announce Chris Berning has joined the North America team as Business Development Director.
On the same day the world was officially proclaimed home of seven billion souls, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives with the theme of “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”.
“This Day of 7 Billion – is not about one newborn, or even one generation,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “This is a day about our entire human family.”
According to the U.N., one billion of the seven billion souls on the planet belongs to a cooperative and such cooperatives, especially in agriculture, are important to alleviating poverty and increasing economic opportunities in less developed countries.
According to the latest Global300 report, released today and prepared by the International Co-operative Alliance, the world’s largest 300 co-operatives generate revenues of $1.6 trillion—equal to the GDP of the world’s ninth largest economy. Most of the 300 largest cooperatives are found in the developed economies of France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and the United States, with 30 per cent engaged in the agriculture and food sectors, 23 per cent in retailing, 22 per cent in insurance and 19 per cent in banking.
Among the successful cooperatives that will be participating in the yearlong cooperative celebration is GROWMARK. More than 150 representatives of the world’s largest co-operatives are in New York City for the official launch and side events this week.
GROWMARK is a member of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) and the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA) – both of which are supporting the campaign – and member cooperatives are being encouraged to participate on a local level with promotional materials, such as window clings, posters and other graphic pieces. GROWMARK will publish a 2012 calendar with photos that exemplify the cooperative spirit.
I’ll spare you the details. Let’s just say black kitty had a bout with my husband’s truck. May have been a fan belt, may have been the motor, we’re not really sure. But we found two large tufts of fur laying in the driveway and a black kitty missing the back 2/3 of her tail. Well, the fur anyway.
She was making quite a mess around the house. I spent the better part of an hour on my hands and knees scrubbing the cement with Clorox water to remove the blood stains and we knew we had to do something to help.
So we played veterinarian for a day.
I flopped her on her side and grabbed her legs. It probably looked like I was calf-tying her. She didn’t put up much of a fight to my surprise. My husband then wrapped gauze around her tail, followed by blue electrical tape. It was either a black and blue kitty or a Halloween kitty (his second color choice was orange tape). Given the time of year, we should’ve picked orange.
She seems to be fine and leaving the tape alone. But it’s a sad, sad sight to see this kitty and I think she’s embarrassed because she’s hiding in the trees out front. Hopefully she’ll heal and we’ll see if the fur grows back.
Agriculture.com recently released an updated mobile version of the leading agriculture site, m.agriculture.com, which now features an up-to-the-minute markets ticker, video, upgraded weather coverage and in-depth news and markets analysis.
Eighteen months after the introduction of the iPad, 11% of U.S. adults now own a tablet computer of some kind. But a majority says they would not be willing to pay for news content on these devices, according to the most detailed study to date of tablet users and how they interact with this new technology.
A total of 25 county Farm Bureaus from across the country were recognized by the American Farm Bureau Federation for innovative program ideas in this year’s County Activities of Excellence program.
Merck Animal Health has launched EXPERTIS Udder Health, an innovative farm management tool for veterinarians to better enable them to monitor and improve udder health in dairy cattle.
Make your donation of $100 or more to the NAFB Foundation, and your name will be entered in a chance to win an iPad 2 tablet!
The real reason you should donate is because the NAFB Foundation helps ensure a strong future for the farm broadcasting profession and industry. The NAFB Foundation is the nonprofit charitable and educational arm of NAFB. It is focused on enhancing the value of agriculture, food production and rural lifestyle through the various forms of broadcasting, while assisting and benefiting industry partners, students, future broadcasters and the general broadcast audience.
So when NAFB president Tom Steever or one of the other officers calls and asks you to donate this year, just say yes. And you might win a new iPad.
John Deere is trying to build a combine out of cans.
We’re talking about 300,000 cans of food here to replicate a full-sized S-Series combine in a field. It would be a world record. Kind of like what America’s farmers do every year – set new records in feeding the world.
The John Deere Project ”CAN DO” combine sculpture and food donation program are designed to raise awareness of the essential role farmers and ranchers play in producing safe, healthy and abundant food for a growing world population, while supplying much needed food supplies to a local food bank during the holiday season. The more than 300,000 cans of food needed to complete the sculpture are donated by John Deere with delivery from Hy-Vee Food Stores. When completed, the sculpture will be 60 feet wide, 80 feet long and 16 feet tall and will weigh nearly 170 tons. The sculpture depicts John Deere’s new S-690 Combine, which is the world’s most powerful combine that can harvest more than 350 acres of grain a day.
Project “CAN DO” also gives consumers a chance to be a part of building the can sculpture by ‘virtually’ creating cans of food, explains Richard Williamson, art director for John Deere Ag and Turf. “Anyone interested in participating can go to the John Deere Facebook page www.facebook.com/johndeere to submit their name and a photograph, which will be wrapped around their virtual personalized food can as part of a virtual sculpture.”
Helping to design the combine sculpture is a team from the Chicago office of architectural firm, RTKL. John Deere employees and retirees will also volunteer to assist with the overall project. The combine can sculpture will be on display at the John Deere Pavilion in downtown Moline, Ill., from mid-November to mid-December. All the canned food will be donated to the River Bend Foodbank when the sculpture is dismantled.
FS PARTNERS in Ontario is pioneering a new use for QR codes in the field so farmers can access updated information about test plots. In case you are not yet familiar with them, QR is short for Quick Response and they are those bar code looking things you can read with a smart phone that are starting to pop up every where these days.
Juli Paladino, FS PARTNERS retail energy administrator in Ontario, helped develop the use of this communications technology for Pursuit of Maximum Yield corn and soybean plots. “So, you’re at a Pursuit of Maximum Yield site, you’re going to scan it and it’s going to take you right to information on our field trials,” she explains. That information can include seed information, treatments, planting dates and even audio updates tailored specifically to that particular site.
As smartphones become more prevalent, people are becoming more familiar with using QR codes to get information, but Juli says they have actually been around for a while. “Originally they were developed in 1994 by Toyota in Japan to track parts,” she said. “It’s been a very commonplace technology in Japan and Asia.”
While consumers in the United States has been slower to adopt the use of QR codes, Juli says farmers are quicker to pick up on new technology. “Farmers are at a higher rate than the general public to be adopting mobile phone technology. They’ve got the smart phone and they’re ready to use it.”
I am completely behind 100% Cork for my wine bottles. It looks like I’m not alone according to a recent survey by the Cork Quality Council. So sniff the cork.
More than 60 percent of the top 100 domestic premium wine brands are now sealed with natural cork, another sign of the growing resurgence of cork and the diminishing use and acceptance of alternative closures.
Case sales of the top 100 domestic premium wine brands sealed with cork surged 7.7 percent during the four-weeks ended Sept. 17, 2011, compared to the same period a year earlier. During the same period, the sale of the top 100 brands finished with alternative closures plummeted 11.9 percent. The results are from a survey of A.C. Nielsen data by the Cork Quality Council.
I wanted to share with you my latest purchase…these oil rubbed bronze mason jar soap pumps. I ordered four of them for bathrooms and kitchen sinks and I must say, I haven’t been this excited for the UPS man in a long time. Now, I know there’s a way to make them yourself but my crafting abilities leave much to be desired.
That got me to thinking about how many uses mason jars have. I used to toss my spare coins in them, use them to stick plant ends in to take root (I still have a quart jar with a philodendron just growing in water), as a vase, a soap dispenser, a drinking mug and of course the obvious, for canning … the list goes on.
In fact, I can’t think of anything else in my house that’s been used for that many different things. Can you?
These four jars had green beans in them.
And just for consistency sake, I used two Ball and two Kerr.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack chose the John Deere Des Moines Works facility to talk about his priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill, which he says is really a misnomer.
“After all, for decades this bill has been about a whole lot more than just farming. It’s been about energy, it’s been about nutrition, it’s been about jobs. Now, some may keep calling it the Farm Bill out of convenience, or maybe even out of tradition; but I think we’re doing it a disservice,” Vilsack said.
The secretary acknowledged that fiscal and political realities will have an impact on the outcome for any legislation in the coming year. “So our priorities must be clear. We simply need to do more with less,” he said.
So we had the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. Now we’ve got the Barilla Center For Food & Nutrition Double Pyramid? Okay. What do you think about that? Good research and information? Just another organization trying to insert their ideas into the food conversation? One side of the double pyramid focuses on food types by their definition of nutritional value and the other is inverted by their definition of environmental impact.
By the end of October, it is estimated that the world’s population will reach seven billion people, growing to nine billion by 2050. In order to satisfy the world’s food needs, production will need to increase between 70 and 100 percent in the face of environmental changes, a destabilized agrifoods market and continued global economic turmoil. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN), launched in the U.S. today, is working to address these topics through the development of concrete research and findings for government leaders and policymakers around the world to use as a relevant and meaningful resource.
“While we cannot stop the continuing evolution of the planet, we have the moral duty to suggest courses of action and propose policies that encourage responsible interaction with it. Food and nutrition will be an increasingly important focus in dialogues among governments, corporations and civil society, all of which are working to address the immediate and future challenges we face in meeting nutritional needs of a growing population while ensuring the health of our planet,” stated Guido Barilla, President of the BCFN. “We understand what it takes to bring food from the farm to the table in an efficient and sustainable way, as well as the importance of developing environmentally sustainable production models. We are committed to bringing the world’s best and brightest minds together to provide guidance on how to effectively navigate these complex topics.”
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Are Farm Show Smartphone Apps Helpful?” Although 55% said they had Never used one, 27% said Yes and only 18% said no. I think these results reflect the fact that these apps are new. I used several during the course of the year and some are more helpful than others. One of the features I like most is being able to open a show map to find where I am currently located and where I want to go to find a particular exhibitor. Have you used any of these apps? What did you like or wish was different about the ones you used?
Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “How do you view the new free trade agreements for U.S. ag?” President Obama signed legislation last Friday implementing free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. These agreements were supported by most agricultural member organizations. What do you think? Take our poll and feel free to comment. Thank you.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Farm Journal Media’s AgWeb.com launched its mobile application, providing smartphone users with easier, more graphic access to its market-leading content.
Croplife recently released a new video on fertilizer, crop protection product handling and distribution. Watch the video here.
The soybean-checkoff-funded U.S. Soybean Export Council launched a revamped website for its global aquaculture program to communicate the benefits of soy in aquaculture feeds to both consumers and the global seafood industry.
FMC Corporation announces the promotion of David Wheeler to Business Solutions Manager.
This is a great picture. It’s from the University of Iowa and Iowa Farm Bureau’s “America Needs Farmers” first-ever ‘card stunt’ at Kinnick stadium celebrating ANF Game Day a little over a week ago.
Today, the organizations jointly announced a $20,000 donation to the Iowa Food Bank Association in recognition of the “ANF” and “Farm Strong” initiatives.
“We are proud of our Hawkeye fans and we knew they would embrace the card stunt and, more importantly, ANF Day at Kinnick because they understand the many contributions farmers make to our family table and to our economy. We are also very proud of our partnership with the Iowa Farm Bureau. It’s one that is giving back to our communities in ways that go well beyond touchdowns on Saturday afternoons,” said Gary Barta, the UI’s director of athletics.
Meat MythCrushers (The American Meat Science Association and the American Meat Institute) has just released a new episode in their library of videos to help people find the truth behind a lot of meat myths. Let’s take a look at this one on transglutaminase which is being called “meat glue.” There’s a rumor going viral on the web about this. In fact, one of my friends from grammar school forwarded me an email from a friend of his who was all worried and afraid of the information on the internet. I looked at it and forwarded him some facts and a link to this video so he could get some perspective. Nothing like the truth for perspective, eh?
Transglutaminase is a protein that is used to bind ingredients together in many foods. In meat products, for example, it can help hold bacon around a filet mignon to create a bacon wrapped filet or it can help hold several smaller cuts together to make a larger cut that can be sliced.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized transglutaminase as safe and it has been safely used for many years. Canada, Australia and many of European countries also recognize this as a safe food processing aid. Transglutaminase is not classified as an allergen. Still, when it is used, it will appear on the ingredient label.
Watch Dana Hanson, Ph.D., associate professor and meat extension specialist, food science at North Carolina State University, clarify why transglutaminase is used, how it is labeled and why it is safe. Meanwhile, I think I’ll go glue some steaks together for supper!
What’s new in the world of agricultural marketing is Engle Creative Solutions, LLC. This morning I visited with Steve Engle, President. This is another episode in my informal series of interviews with the leadership of agricultural marketing agencies.
Steve started the new venture just last month. Steve says he’s focusing on small to mid sized businesses and wants to help them, “Stand Out In A Crowded World.” He’s offering a “complete array of implementation services, from mainstream advertising and public relations to new media, interactive services, motion media and more.”
Once again this year, the GROWMARK cooperative system is among the nation’s top ten co-ops.
The GROWMARK System of cooperatives, headquartered in Bloomington, Ill., was ranked seventh on the NCB Co-op 100 listing of the nation’s 100 highest revenue-earning cooperative businesses. GROWMARK was ranked sixth on the 2010 list.
“The boom of cooperative organizations and the key role they play in both our national and global economy, is clearly evidenced in the growth and expansion highlighted in this year’s report,” said Charles E. Snyder, President and CEO of NCB. “As a cooperative business ourselves, we are proud to support these efforts and participate in the United Nations General Assembly declaration of 2012 as the International Year of the Cooperative, to educate the public on the benefits of cooperatives. Our report is just one of the many ways we work to inform the public on the advantages of cooperatives in all fields of enterprise.”
The NCB Co-op 100 debuted in 1991 and is the only yearly report of its kind to track cooperative revenues in the United States. Cooperatives in this year’s top 100 account for a combined revenue of more than $193 billion in 2010.
Welcome to food day. For me that’s every day. Thank God we live in a blessed country where we have the most plentiful, safe and affordable food supply in the world. The food we produce is safe to eat, safe for the environment, high quality and protects our national security. Thank all you farmers of all kinds who produce it.
Unfortunately there’s a very misguided effort calling today “Food Day.” I’d put their logo on here but they’ve got restrictions on its use:
For-profit entities must request permission from the Center for Science in the Public Interest by clicking here and providing a description of how they would like to participate in Food Day and use the Food Day logo.
I wish that was the only misguided part of what they’re doing. There’s more. Let’s start with the name, Center for Science in the Public Interest. It would be nice if they stuck to science. Instead, this is a lobbying organization with an agenda. For example, they want you to sign their Eat Real agenda and have it sent to your Congressman. Read it. It certainly is an “agenda.” It’s not mine and I hope it’s not yours.
The last thing we need in this country is more unnecessary government spending and government control over business which their agenda calls for. Our food is safe and if people would use more common sense in how they select, store, handle and cook it we would have far less problems. You can’t legislate common sense. Our food system is not broken as these wackos assert. What is broken is our government thanks to groups like this. If more common sense was used then we would have food distributed to the really needy. That goes for here and in other parts of the world where we send so much food aid. And let’s not forget about personal responsibility. You choose the foods you eat and you can choose your lifestyle. Please don’t blame others for the consequences of your own actions.
I guess that to survive and grow, a group like this has to manufacture a crisis, knowing how gullible people are. And they are really gullible. I had a long time friend send me another in a series of “articles” this morning about a new dirty secret in the food industry that had him all worried. Instead of checking it out for the truth he accepted what he saw as the truth. Folks, what do you think Google is for? Do your research and don’t buy in to the kind of nonsense being promulgated by groups like this one.
Have a wonderful food day every day and feel good about it. Cheers.
Have you seen Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer? He had a remarkable way of knowing and understanding horses, and it seemed as though they had their own secret language between horse and man. I believe that some people are born with the gift of understanding animals, and I’m not one of them — shoot, I can’t even understand my 3-year-old sometimes and he speaks English!
I mentioned a while back that our two horses, Thelma and Louise, were at “horsey school.” That is, they have spent a month with Russ Smith, horse trainer in Auburn, Neb. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of observing and working with Russ over the past month which has only furthered my training, discipline and understanding of our horses. I’m not an experienced rider, and in fact, I haven’t been on a horse since I was 10. But after a few hours at Russ’s barn I was already out trotting (and hanging on for dear life!).
Russ has a talent. A gift. He has ridden bulls and roped a few steers. He has had broken bones and bruises and maybe a sore ego when he was 15 trying to showing off for the cowgirls and was bucked to the dirt. But he has taken that gift and shared it with others in the horse community through training.
I’ve learned that cowboys all have different styles and what works for one trainer may not work for another. But I got on Thelma and with one small nudge to her belly, she was off and walking. Simple as that.
I wanted to chalk it up to the fact that Thelma has always been the calmer of the two horses, but after just one month, I see that I was wrong. Louise just needed Russ.
(This photo shows Russ on one of his own horses with Caramel, the goat supervising and his son getting ready for sledding season.)
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.
On the same day the world was officially proclaimed home of seven billion souls, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives with the theme of “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”.
We’re talking about 300,000 cans of food here to replicate a full-sized S-Series combine in a field. It would be a world record. Kind of like what America’s farmers do every year – set new records in feeding the world. 
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack chose the John Deere Des Moines Works facility to 
What’s new in the world of agricultural marketing is 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
